The bottom hoist side features a green band to the edge representing Dayton's nickname as the "Gem City" and to "showcase our reputation [...] as a community centered on grit and tenacity.

[5] Catapult Creative was hired to survey the public for their opinions on the final designs and then create a flag using that feedback.

The white band contained the name "DAYTON", set in navy blue lettering decreasing in size from mast to fly.

On June 11, 1958, a six-person committee selected a combination of two designs by Michael J. Spahr and Karen Kress.

It featured a royal blue Wright Flyer superimposed on a gray globe with white graticule lines, representing the aviation industry's global reach.

[9] In 2018, Mayor Nan Whaley convened a committee to replace the flag after hearing a TED talk by Roman Mars.

[9] The committee required submissions to have a proportion of 1:1.67 and adhere to the North American Vexillological Association's five principles of flag design.