Howard County Flag
Formally adopted by the Howard County Council on May 5, 2025 with the passage of Council Bill 22-2025 and signed into law by Howard County Executive Calvin Ball on May 6, 2025, Howard County's new flag was designed by Ellicott City resident, Ms. Esen Paradiso, following a county-wide contest. Ms. Paradiso’s design was selected from three final designs recommended by the Howard County Flag Commission in its Final Report dated February 25, 2025. The recommendations were informed by a public vote on the top 10 designs chosen from the 184 eligible design submissions by the Commission in the fall. The Flag Commission was established by Executive Order in January 2024 and charged with conducting a public design process to create a new official Howard County flag.
The Howard County flag features rich, arching lines of gold and white over a field of green and blue and its design reflects the diversity and inclusion of Howard County’s natural and human resources – an historically proud and future-oriented central Maryland community and represents an evolving agricultural past blended with an optimistic cultural, environmental, and economic future which is cosmopolitan, vibrant, and thriving.
According to Ms. Paradiso, the arch represents both the historical past of Howard County – the Thomas Viaduct in Elkridge, and its dynamic future – the Chrysalis in Downtown Columbia. The stripes represent Howard County’s historical and contemporary abundance of agricultural and natural resources. The golden circle represents the boundless energy of the sun empowering a diverse community with a view toward the horizon, a bright and optimistic future – and a primary color from the Maryland flag as a location anchor for Howard County. The blue represents the optimism of endless skies, the hope of a bright future, and the abundance of natural and recreational resources – lakes, rivers, and waterways. The green color represents the planned preservation and utilization of the natural environment, the continuing investment in a thriving agriculture economy, and the promise of growing a culturally appreciative community.
The flag was officially raised for the first time outside the County's George Howard Building on July 7, 2025.
Howard County Seal
The original Howard County seal dates from 1840, when the present county area was established as the Howard District of Anne Arundel County. A renowned seal designer of the times, Edward Stabler, was commissioned to produce a seal and press for the new court. His design included typical elements of the area: tobacco plants and a shock of wheat --important early crops; necessary farming implements, a plowed field, and rolling hills in the background.
When Howard became a full-fledged county in 1851, the pictorial design was copied and the encircling legend read; "Circuit Court for Howard County, Maryland." This second seal and the original press are still used in the office of the Clerk of the Court.
From time to time the plants in the foreground have been interpreted variously; a floral version may be seen in gold embroidery on former court room draperies now in the headquarters of the Howard County Historical Society. Vegetables are shown in a colored mosaic tile version on the wall of the County Council Hearing Room. In recent years the latter design was the official county seal.
In 1973, following proposed action of the County Council to amend the seal description, historic research disclosed much of the foregoing information, and a bill was introduced to make a new design based on the original Stabler seal. On the recommendation of a Historical Society committee headed by Mrs. Anita Iribe, who had done most of the original research on the background and who presented to the Council a colored interpretation of the Stabler design, the present seal was adopted in November, 1973. See Howard County Code, Section 22.101.
So the official County insignia now embodies a close copy of a design by the same noted man who prepared seals for, among others, the Smithsonian Institution and the U.S. Departments of State and Treasury. It includes examples of Howard County's fine agricultural heritage, executed in appropriate coloring.
Howard County Bird
In 1978, members of the Howard County Chapter of the Maryland Ornithological Society requested that County Executive Edward L. Cochran designate the American Goldfinch (Spinas Tristis) as Howard County's Official Bird. On May 23, 1978, the Howard County Council introduced legislation at the request of the County Executive and the Ornithological Society making the designation official. In doing so, the Council cited in the Resolution that "the goldfinch is highly visible throughout Howard County in its natural field habitat and is seen often during winter months at local home feeders throughout the County."
This illustration is the beautiful work of artist Jo Dye. A member of the Ornothological Society, Ms. Dye donated the original scratchboard drawing to hang in the lobby of the County Office Building in Ellicott City. There, the drawing reminded visitors of both the bird's beauty and official status in Howard County.
Howard County Flower
In a grassroots effort, Howard County Garden Clubs rallied behind the leadership of the Split Rail Garden Club to propose that Queen Anne's Lace be recognized as the official flower of the County.
August 6, 1984 the County Council at the request of County Executive J. Hugh Nichols, introduced legislation to designate Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus carota) as Howard County's flower. On September 4th, 1984 the designation became official.
Queen Anne's Lace is a familar wild flower in Howard County, blooming in the summer and the fall. It has white flowers, arranged in flat clusters at the ends of the stems with each flower radiating from the center in a lacy pattern. It is also known as Wild Carrot because of the shape of its leaves and Bird's Nest because of its appearance when the flower clusters close.
