Flags in Washington at half-staff. Here’s why they’ll be raised this weekend
Noticing flags at half-staff in Washington this week?
Flags have been lowered across the country, and will stay that way through tomorrow. Here’s why.
Flags lowered in Washington state
Federal and state buildings lower their flags for a handful of reasons. Directives come from the president and state governors. Flag-lowering orders from the president are followed by subsequent orders at the state level. Additionally, each state might have their own observations scheduled throughout the year.
In Washington, the rest of the year’s pre-determined flag lowerings are:
National Firefighters Memorial Day - May 4
Peace Officers Memorial Day - May 15
Memorial Day - May 26
Patriot Day - September 11
National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day - December 7
Flags are always lowered in Washington state following the deaths of a principal federal or state government official, a member of the state’s armed forces while serving on active duty, or a state government employee or member of the public safety community killed in the line of duty.
State directives apply to state agency facilities, but businesses, organizations and individuals are invited to participate as well.
Any additional lowerings will be announced as necessary. You can sign up for email updates on flag directives in Washington state.
Flags at half-staff nationwide
The current directive to lower flags to half-staff was issued by President Donald Trump on April 21 following the death of Pope Francis. The Pope died after a stroke on April 21 at age 88, having served as the head of the Catholic church for over 10 years.
Trump’s proclamation states the action is “a mark of respect for the memory of His Holiness Pope Francis.”
Flags were lowered immediately following the proclamation, and will remain there through April 26, the day of his funeral, part of a nine-day mourning process called Novemdiales.
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson echoed this directive for state agency facilities.
“Pope Francis challenged all of us to be better, more loving, more caring toward those too often forgotten,” Ferguson posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “No matter our differences, His Holiness said, ‘We just meet one another doing good.’”
This story was originally published April 25, 2025 at 2:10 PM with the headline "Flags in Washington at half-staff. Here’s why they’ll be raised this weekend."