Flagpole Wind Ratings: ASCE 7-10, ASCE 7-22, and Local Code Data
Background for the Flagpole Warehouse Wind Speed Tool: how ASCE 7-10 and ASCE 7-22 speeds compare, where local building codes set a stricter requirement, NAAMM FP 1001-07 thresholds, wind speeds for major U.S. cities, pole set depths, flag sizes, and nylon vs. polyester load. Search the tool above for the exact figures at your project zip code.
How the Wind Speed Tool Works
Type a zip code, city, or street address into the tool above. A search returns up to three figures for that location: the ASCE 7-10 basic wind speed most flagpole manufacturers still design to, the ASCE 7-22 basic wind speed from the current edition of the standard, and, in six jurisdictions with a stricter local building code, the rating required under that code. All three are converted to the same NAAMM FP 1001-07 rating scale, and the tool recommends whichever is highest for your site. Results appear on an interactive color-coded map with a PDF report available for download.
Zip Code Lookup
Every U.S. zip code has a mapped ASCE 7-10 wind speed value. Search by zip, city, or address and receive a precise result — not a regional average.
Interactive Map
Color-coded wind zone overlay built from U.S. Census Bureau zip code boundaries. Pan, zoom, and click anywhere on the map to see the wind speed for that location.
NAAMM Rating Conversion
ASCE 7-10 and ASCE 7-22 speeds are each converted to a NAAMM FP 1001-07 rating (85, 90, 100, 110, 120, 130, 150, or 170 mph) using a ceiling-based threshold system, so a value that falls between two thresholds rounds up to the next one. Because ASCE 7-22 reports an ultimate, strength-design speed rather than the allowable-stress-design basis that 7-10 and NAAMM use, the tool applies a 0.7746 conversion factor (the square root of 0.6) before comparing the two editions. See "ASCE 7-22 and Local Building Code Requirements" below for the full explanation.
Local Code (AHJ) Overrides
Six jurisdictions have adopted their own wind speed requirements in local building code: New York City; Miami-Dade, Broward, and Collier counties in Florida; and two tiers of the Texas Windstorm zone. Where a project zip code falls inside one of these areas, the tool flags the code citation and the rating it requires, then factors that figure into the overall recommendation.
PDF Report
Download a report showing your project location, the ASCE 7-10 and ASCE 7-22 basic wind speeds, any local code requirement that applies, the recommended NAAMM flagpole rating, and Special Wind Region status. Save or print for project files, specifications, or contractor reference.
Full U.S. Coverage
CONUS, Alaska (dedicated inset map), Hawaii, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa are all covered.
Why This Tool Uses ASCE 7-10 Wind Speed Data
Most flagpole manufacturers still reference ASCE 7-05, which is the edition cited in NAAMM FP 1001-07. The 7-05 wind map was built from a hurricane simulation model developed in 1998 using the instruments and data available at the time.
The Flagpole Warehouse Wind Speed Tool uses ASCE 7-10 data, the following edition of the standard. ASCE 7-10 incorporates over a decade of additional hurricane measurements — including data from dropsonde instruments that did not exist when the original model was developed — and more accurate modeling of how storms weaken as they travel inland. The result is better wind speed data, particularly along the Gulf Coast and Atlantic seaboard where accurate ratings matter most. For non-hurricane regions, the values are essentially the same as ASCE 7-05. Both use the same measurement format: a 3-second gust at 33 feet above ground. The rating thresholds from NAAMM FP 1001-07 are unchanged.
Typical Manufacturer Maps (ASCE 7-05)
- Hurricane model from 1998
- Simplified regional color zones
- Approximate hand-drawn boundaries
- No zip-code-level precision
- Static image — not interactive
Flagpole Warehouse Wind Speed Tool (ASCE 7-10)
- Updated hurricane data through 2010
- 41,375 individual zip code values
- Census Bureau zip code boundaries
- Exact match between map and lookup result
- Interactive map with search and PDF export
Map Color Scale and NAAMM FP 1001-07 Rating Thresholds
The interactive map uses a color scale to represent ASCE 7-10 basic wind speeds across the U.S. Each color band corresponds to a NAAMM FP 1001-07 flagpole rating threshold. Ratings are ceiling-based — if your wind speed falls between two thresholds, the tool recommends the next higher rating to ensure the pole meets or exceeds your local requirement.
| ASCE 7-10 Wind Speed | Flagpole Rating (NAAMM) | Typical Regions |
|---|---|---|
| ≤ 85 mph | 85 mph | Interior Midwest, Northern Plains, Mountain West |
| 86–90 mph | 90 mph | Interior Southeast, Central states, Pacific Northwest |
| 91–100 mph | 100 mph | Mid-Atlantic, portions of Texas and the Southeast |
| 101–110 mph | 110 mph | Coastal Mid-Atlantic, Western Gulf Coast |
| 111–120 mph | 120 mph | Eastern Gulf Coast, Outer Banks, Hawaii |
| 121–130 mph | 130 mph | Southern Florida, Louisiana coast, hurricane corridors |
| 131–150 mph | 150 mph | Southeast Florida, coastal Carolinas, Mississippi coast |
| > 150 mph | 170 mph | South Florida coast, Florida Keys, extreme hurricane zones |
Areas marked with dashed red borders on the map are ASCE 7-10 Special Wind Regions, where local terrain (mountains, gorges, coastal promontories) can produce wind speeds above the mapped value. Always verify with the local building department before specifying a flagpole in a Special Wind Region. Note that this color scale reflects ASCE 7-10 only. The rating recommended in the tool can be higher once ASCE 7-22 and local code requirements are factored in, as explained in the next section.
ASCE 7-22 and Local Building Code Requirements
ASCE 7-22 is the current edition of the wind speed standard, referenced by the 2024 IBC. It reports wind speeds on a different basis than ASCE 7-10: an ultimate, strength-design value on a 700-year mean recurrence interval, rather than the 50-year, allowable-stress-design (ASD) value that ASCE 7-10 and the NAAMM FP 1001-07 tables were built around. Compared side by side with no adjustment, a location's ASCE 7-22 number reads higher than its ASCE 7-10 number even when the underlying design requirement hasn't actually changed.
To make the two comparable, the tool multiplies the ASCE 7-22 speed by 0.7746 (the square root of 0.6) before converting it to a NAAMM rating. That puts both editions on the same ASD-equivalent scale NAAMM FP 1001-07 already uses, so the 7-10 rating and the 7-22 rating for a given zip code can be read side by side rather than mistaken for the same kind of number. Wherever a zip code also carries a local code requirement above both ASCE figures, the tool displays that as well, and the overall recommendation is always the highest of whichever of the three apply to that site.
| Jurisdiction | Zip Codes | Code Section | Code-Required Wind Speed | NAAMM Rating Required |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York City | 378 | NYC BC Section 1609.3 | 120 mph | 100 mph |
| Miami-Dade County, FL | 172 | FBC Section 1620.2 (HVHZ) | 175 mph | 150 mph |
| Broward County, FL | 54 | FBC Section 1620.2 (HVHZ) | 170 mph | 150 mph |
| Collier County, FL | 23 | FBC R301.2(7) | 170 mph | 150 mph |
| Texas Windstorm, Tier I | 50 | TDI 28 TAC Ch. 5, Subchapter E | 150 mph | 120 mph |
| Texas Windstorm, Tier II | 74 | TDI 28 TAC Ch. 5, Subchapter E | 140 mph | 110 mph |
For Architects and Specifiers
Use the Wind Speed Tool to pull the wind speed and flagpole rating your project site requires for a CSI Section 107500 specification. The tool checks ASCE 7-10, ASCE 7-22, and, where applicable, local code, and reports whichever produces the highest NAAMM rating. The PDF documents all three for inclusion in project submittals.
For a complete project specification, use the Flagpole Warehouse Specification Generator — it includes the wind speed lookup built in and produces a full 3-part CSI Section 107500 specification document.
Wind Speeds for Major U.S. Cities
Reference wind speeds for selected U.S. cities based on ASCE 7-10 data. Wind speeds can vary significantly within a metro area, particularly near the coast. Always use the tool above to look up the exact speed for your project zip code.
| City | State | Wind Speed (mph) | Flagpole Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anchorage | AK | 104.5 | 110 mph |
| Atlanta | GA | 90.0 | 90 mph |
| Boston | MA | 96.6 | 100 mph |
| Charleston | SC | 100.0 | 100 mph |
| Chicago | IL | 90.0 | 90 mph |
| Dallas | TX | 90.0 | 90 mph |
| Denver | CO | 90.0 | 90 mph |
| Detroit | MI | 90.0 | 90 mph |
| Honolulu | HI | 67.0 | 85 mph |
| Houston | TX | 103.7 | 110 mph |
| Indianapolis | IN | 90.0 | 90 mph |
| Jacksonville | FL | 94.2 | 100 mph |
| Kansas City | MO | 90.0 | 90 mph |
| Las Vegas | NV | 90.0 | 90 mph |
| Los Angeles | CA | 85.0 | 85 mph |
| Miami | FL | 127.7 | 130 mph |
| Minneapolis | MN | 90.0 | 90 mph |
| Mobile | AL | 111.3 | 120 mph |
| Nashville | TN | 90.0 | 90 mph |
| New Orleans | LA | 108.3 | 110 mph |
| New York | NY | 90.0 | 90 mph |
| Pensacola | FL | 111.2 | 120 mph |
| Philadelphia | PA | 90.0 | 90 mph |
| Phoenix | AZ | 90.0 | 90 mph |
| Portland | OR | 85.0 | 85 mph |
| San Diego | CA | 85.0 | 85 mph |
| San Francisco | CA | 85.0 | 85 mph |
| Savannah | GA | 93.4 | 100 mph |
| Seattle | WA | 85.0 | 85 mph |
| Tampa | FL | 106.5 | 110 mph |
| Virginia Beach | VA | 92.4 | 100 mph |
| Washington | DC | 90.0 | 90 mph |
Flagpole Height, Set Depth, and Flag Size Reference
Set depths follow NAAMM FP 1001-07 for ground-set installations. Overall pole length equals the exposed height plus the set depth. All ground-set poles include a steel ground sleeve with a factory-welded grounding lug for lightning protection.
| Exposed Height (ft) | Set Depth (ft) | Overall Length (ft) | Recommended Flag |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 2 | 17 | 3' × 5' |
| 20 | 2 | 22 | 4' × 6' |
| 25 | 2.5 | 27.5 | 5' × 8' |
| 30 | 3 | 33 | 6' × 10' |
| 35 | 3.5 | 38.5 | 6' × 10' |
| 40 | 4 | 44 | 8' × 12' |
| 45 | 4.5 | 49.5 | 8' × 12' |
| 50 | 5 | 55 | 10' × 15' |
| 60 | 6 | 66 | 12' × 18' |
| 70 | 7 | 77 | 12' × 18' |
| 80 | 8 | 88 | 15' × 25' |
Nylon vs. Polyester Flags: Wind Load Impact
All published NAAMM FP 1001-07 flagpole wind ratings are calculated with a nylon flag in the recommended size for the pole height. Polyester flags are heavier and produce higher wind loads. If your project specifies polyester, the effective wind capacity of the pole is reduced — contact Flagpole Warehouse for adjusted ratings.
| Characteristic | Nylon | Polyester |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | Lighter — industry standard for wind load calculations | Heavier — approximately 30–50% more than nylon |
| Wind Load on Pole | Standard — all NAAMM ratings reference nylon | Higher — heavier fabric creates greater wind force on the shaft |
| UV Durability | Good — fades faster under intense sun | Better — resists UV degradation longer |
| Wet Performance | Dries quickly — flies in lighter wind | Heavier when wet — needs more wind to unfurl |
| Best For | Most commercial installations — standard recommendation | High-UV locations and sustained coastal wind sites |
| Wind Rating Impact | No adjustment needed | Consult manufacturer for adjusted pole ratings |
How to Choose the Right Flagpole for Your Wind Zone
Selecting a commercial flagpole starts with knowing your project's wind speed. Use the tool above to find your rating, then follow these steps.
Look up your wind speed. Enter your project zip code into the Wind Speed Tool. It returns the ASCE 7-10 basic wind speed and the NAAMM FP 1001-07 flagpole rating for your location. If you are in a Special Wind Region, confirm the design wind speed with your local building department before proceeding.
Determine pole height. Commercial flagpoles range from 15 to 80 feet. Consider surrounding building heights, visibility requirements, and whether multiple flags will fly on separate poles. Taller poles need larger foundations and heavier hardware.
Select pole type. External halyard (stationary or revolving) for standard installations; Internal Winch for taller poles and high-security sites; Internal Cam Cleat for a cost-effective internal option on shorter poles up to 40 feet.
Confirm wall thickness and butt diameter. Larger diameters and thicker walls increase wind capacity. Select a configuration whose "with nylon flag" rating meets or exceeds your site's NAAMM rating. Use the Flagpole Warehouse Cut Sheet Builder to see available configurations and their exact ratings.
Choose flag material. Nylon is the standard for most commercial sites and is the baseline for all published wind ratings. Polyester is preferred where UV fade resistance is a priority. If specifying polyester, verify the pole remains adequately rated for the increased wind load.
Generate your specification or cut sheet. Use the Cut Sheet Builder for a formatted PDF cut sheet, or the Specification Generator to produce a complete CSI Section 107500 project specification.
