virgin islands villas
US Virgin Islands

The US Virgin Islands flag, and the facts behind it

The US Virgin Islands are a territory of the United States: St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix and Water Island, with the dollar for money and Atlantic time all year. The US Virgin Islands flag, a yellow eagle between a blue V and I, is set out in the territory's own law.

The territory in twelve facts, each checked against its authority in October 2026.
FactAnswer
StatusA territory of the United States, not a state
BoughtFrom Denmark in 1917, for $25 million
CitizenshipUS citizens since 1927
Federal oversightDepartment of the Interior, since 1931
GovernorAlbert Bryan Jr., as of October 2026
In CongressOne delegate in the House, Stacey Plaskett, as of October 2026
CapitalCharlotte Amalie, on St. Thomas
Population87,146 at the 2020 Census
MoneyThe US dollar
Time zoneAtlantic Standard Time, UTC−4, no daylight saving
Passport for US citizensNot needed to travel between the US and the territory
FlagA yellow eagle between a blue V and I, on white

What the US Virgin Islands flag shows

The flag is set out in law, in the first title of the Virgin Islands Code: a white field, the block letters V and I in blue, and between them a yellow American eagle carrying the shield of the United States on its breast. One talon holds a green sprig of laurel, the other a bundle of three blue arrows, and the blue at the top of the shield is the blue of the national flag.

The three arrows are usually read as St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix.

A search for the Virgin Islands flag turns up two. The British Virgin Islands fly a blue ensign with the Union Jack in the corner, so the eagle means you are on the US side.

Is the Virgin Islands part of the US?

Yes for St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix and Water Island; no for Tortola, Virgin Gorda and the rest of the British side. The United States bought the Danish West Indies in 1917 for $25 million, per the Office of Insular Affairs, and Water Island followed on its own in 1944. Virgin Islanders became US citizens in 1927, and the Department of the Interior has held federal oversight since 1931.

It is a territory rather than a state, and that shows in two places. Residents cannot vote for president in the general election, per USA.gov as of October 2026, and the islands send one delegate to the US House, Stacey Plaskett as of October 2026. Local government rests on the Organic Act of 1936, revised in 1954.

For a visitor it means a domestic flight in and a customs check on the way home, both in the passport and entry guide; police figures, beach flags and driving on the left are on the safety page.

Who is the president of the Virgin Islands?

Nobody holds that title. The head of state is the President of the United States, and the territory elects its own governor: Albert Bryan Jr. as of October 2026, per the Office of Insular Affairs, with his office at Government House in Charlotte Amalie. The British Virgin Islands have no president either; their governor is appointed by the King, and their premier leads the elected House of Assembly.

What time it is in the US Virgin Islands

The islands keep Atlantic Standard Time, four hours behind UTC, and never move the clocks, per time.gov. From the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November that puts them level with New York and three hours ahead of Los Angeles; the rest of the year they run an hour ahead of New York and four ahead of Los Angeles.

The tradeoff falls in winter, when the island clock runs an hour ahead of New York: a 4 pm check-in is 3 pm at home. The St. Thomas airport page covers late flights and taxis, and the St. John ferry guide the first and last boats.

Money, paperwork and the islands between

The currency is the US dollar. US citizens traveling between the mainland and the territory need no passport, per USA.gov as of October 2026. A day trip across the channel to Tortola or Jost Van Dyke changes that: the BVI asks for the passport book, and CBP accepts a passport card on the way back.

St. Thomas has the airport St. John's visitors fly into, and a cruise port; St. Croix has its own airport and cruise pier, and this site does not cover it yet. St. John is a ferry ride from Red Hook. The map of the whole archipelago shows where each sits, the weather by month covers both islands on one page, and hurricane season has its own.

Then choose the island: St. John if the national park's beaches are the reason for the trip, St. Thomas if a short drive from the airport matters more, or every villa on both with the owner's rate. Beach tables cover St. John and St. Thomas, and the neighborhood guides where to stay on St. John and on St. Thomas. The planning front has every guide we have written; how booking direct works explains the owner's side.

Questions about the territory

Does the US Virgin Islands change the clocks for daylight saving?
No. The territory stays on Atlantic Standard Time, UTC−4, through the whole year, per time.gov. In the US summer that matches Eastern time; between November and March the islands are an hour ahead of the East Coast.
How many people live in the US Virgin Islands?
87,146 on 1 April 2020, per the Census Bureau's count for the Island Areas, down 18.1 percent from 106,405 in 2010.
Is the US Virgin Islands flag the same as the BVI flag?
No. The US territory's flag is white, with a yellow eagle between a blue V and I; the British Virgin Islands fly a blue ensign with their own arms.
What is the capital of the US Virgin Islands?
Charlotte Amalie, on St. Thomas. The governor's office, Government House, is in the town, per the Office of Insular Affairs.

Written by Virgin Islands Villas. Facts checked against the Office of Insular Affairs, the Virgin Islands Code, USA.gov, time.gov and the Census Bureau. Checked October 2026.

The islands

  • St. John · the ferry from Red Hook, the national park beaches
  • St. Thomas · the airport, the cruise port, the East End villas

Guides for both islands