Chicago Flag
Chicago Flag Soundex Code C220
Wikipedia page about the Flag of Chicago
The official flag of the City of Chicago is a stylized map of the Chicago Portage, with four red stars symbolizing city history, separating two blue stripes symbolizing the two great waters that meet at the city.
The municipal flag of Chicago consists of two blue horizontal stripes on a field of white, each stripe one-sixth the height of the full flag, and placed slightly less than one-sixth of the way from the top and bottom. Between the two blue stripes are four red, six-pointed stars arranged in a horizontal row. The stripes represent geographical features of the city, the stars symbolize historical events, and the points of the stars represent important virtues or concepts.
In a review by the North American Vexillological Association of 150 American city flags, the Chicago city flag was ranked second best with a rating of 9.03 out of 10, behind only the Flag of Washington, D.C.
Stripes
The three white background areas of the flag represent, from top to bottom, the North, West, and South sides of the city. The top blue stripe represents Lake Michigan and the North Branch of the Chicago River. The bottom blue stripe represents the South Branch of the Chicago River and the "Great Canal", over the Chicago Portage.
Stars
There are four red six-pointed stars on the center white stripe, from left to right (although this is not the order in which they were added to the flag).
The first star represents Fort Dearborn. It was added to the flag in 1939. Its six points symbolize transportation, labor, commerce, finance, populousness, and salubrity.
The second star stands for the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, and is original to the 1917 design of the flag. Its six points represent the virtues of religion, education, aesthetics, justice, beneficence, and civic pride.
The 'third star symbolizes the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893, and is original to the 1917 design. Its six points stand for political entities Chicago has belonged to and the flags that have flown over the area: France 1693, Great Britain 1763, Virginia 1778, the Northwest Territory 1789, Indiana Territory 1802, and Illinois Territory 1809, and State 1818).
The fourth star represents the Century of Progress Exposition (1933–1934), and was added in 1933. Its points refer to bragging rights: the United States' 2nd Largest City (became 3rd largest in 1990 census when passed by Los Angeles), Chicago's Latin Motto (Urbs in horto – City in a Garden), Chicago's "I Will" Motto, the Great Central Marketplace, Wonder City, and Convention City.