The municipal flag of Louisville consists of a golden fleur-de-lis

Fleur-de-lis

The fleur-de-lis or fleur-de-lys is a stylized lily or iris that is used as a decorative design or symbol. It may be "at one and the same time, political, dynastic, artistic, emblematic, and symbolic", especially in heraldry...

 with two stars surrounded by the circular Louisville • Jefferson County METRO on a blue background. The year 1778 is also centrally located, signifying the city's founding.

This flag has been used since the merger of the old city of Louisville

Louisville, Kentucky

Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...

 with Jefferson County

Jefferson County, Kentucky

As of the census of 2000, there were 693,604 people, 287,012 households, and 183,113 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 305,835 housing units at an average density of...

 in 2003.

Former flag

The flag previously used by the city consists of 13 white stars arranged in a circular pattern in the upper-left corner with three golden fleur-de-lis in the lower-right on a navy blue background. The stars represent the 13 states which existed at Louisville's founding in 1778, while Kentucky was part of Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

. The fleur-de-lis are in honor of King Louis XVI of France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, after whom Louisville was named because of the support of France during the American Revolution. It was ranked as the ninth best city flag in the United States in a national survey in 2003 and was replaced when the city merged with Jefferson County

Jefferson County, Kentucky

As of the census of 2000, there were 693,604 people, 287,012 households, and 183,113 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 305,835 housing units at an average density of...

.