The Cone Flower of Cook County Flag

About the Cone Flower of Cook County Flag

My color choices for the flag are navy blue and white. The navy blue represents the steady
persistence required to make Cook County a better place to live, while the white represents
optimism and faith in a prosperous future for all Cook County citizens.

The symbol on the flag’s right is a representation of the flower of the Echinacea, the official
flower of Cook County. I chose the flower, not only because it is the county’s flower, but due to
its structure. The petals of the flower represent the 30 Cook County townships that surround
the City of Chicago, while the central ovary represents the city itself. The petals and ovary of
the flower are the same size, since both Chicago and Cook County’s townships are equal in
importance in the county. The navy blue field that surrounds the flower represents Lake
Michigan, denoting the Lake’s role as a major economic factor in the County’s growth.

On the left, the six navy blue stripes represent Chicago and the five regions of Cook County:
North, Northwest, South, Southwest and West. The five white stripes represent the five essential
services offered by Cook County, comprising Healthcare, Transportation, a strong Justice
System, Environmental Preservation and Commerce.

Taken in combination, the stripes form a ladder. This communicates that, with the help of the
services of Cook County, all our citizens may climb to shared success and prosperity.