Hillsboro’s Community Flag Selected

A total of 4,200 community members voted for their favorite design for Hillsboro's first community flag on Engage Hillsboro this fall.

And the winning design - with 2,944 votes - has four distinct features:

• Four green rectangular panels: Evoking a bird's-eye view of the City's agricultural roots, farming heritage, and deep connection to nature.
• Marigold circle: Symbolizing the City's historical richness, connection, and unity.
• Blue circle: Creating a welcoming and unifying feeling.
• Trillium flower: Holding historical significance in this region, symbolizes the City's commitment to harmony, and honors Indigenous communities who have used the plant medicinally for over a millennium.

To gather inspiration for the design, the City invited community members to share their stories, values, and ideas for the flag through an Engage Hillsboro survey in August. 

Next, the City asked the 2025 Civic Leadership Academy to create flag design options that capture the heart of the community.  Over the next six weeks, the 12 Academy members learned about local government and flag design principles. They worked together to review the survey results and complete hundreds of interviews with community stakeholders.

With support from City graphic designer Jenny Granillo Martinez Beltran, the Academy created three finalist designs to showcase their four key themes:

• Community: You belong here. You are welcome.  
• Nature: Celebrating our agricultural roots.  
• History: Honoring the first inhabitants of our land.  
• Technology: Celebrating Hillsboro's technological industry.  

"Working on the Hillsboro Community Flag project reminded me how deeply people care about this city," said Academy Member Lynn Coffin. "Every conversation, from long-time residents to new neighbors, reflected pride in our shared home and excitement about creating a symbol that truly belongs to everyone."  

The Hillsboro City Council is expected to adopt the flag design in January 2026, and the physical flag will make its debut during the 2026 State of the City event on February 19 at the Hillsboro Civic Center.