Source: Montgomery County.
(The following press release was published verbatim from Montgomery County).
Today, Montgomery County announced the launch of a new brand identity designed to clearly express what makes the County one of the most desirable and dynamic places to live, work, and raise a family in the Commonwealth. The updated visual identity, which features a new logo and refined County seal, celebrates the County’s people, places, and wide variety of experiences available within its borders.
The County’s rebranding effort, which began in 2024, followed extensive research that included stakeholder sessions, interviews with residents, and an assessment of other county brands nationwide. Through that process, several shared values emerged that transcend geography and demographic differences:
Accessibility: Residents value Montgomery County’s central location, convenient access to resources, and proximity to shopping, restaurants, and transit.
Transportation: With accessibility comes a need for adequate transit solutions, reinforcing a desire for thoughtful growth, transit-oriented development, and reliably funded transit systems.
Community-Mindedness: People across the County prize inclusivity and local engagement as key elements of community life.
Diversity as a Strength: Residents embrace the County’s cultural, geographic, and economic diversity, often describing it as a “microcosm of the country.”
Natural Beauty: The County’s numerous parks, trails, and green spaces are universally treasured by residents, offering both recreation and relaxation.
Affordability: Residents expressed a desire for the County to remain affordable and accessible for all people, including young families and newcomers.
A Sense of Home: Above all, the word most often used by residents to describe Montgomery County is “home.”
The new logo embodies these ideals through an artistic interpretation of Montgomery County’s government and diverse neighborhoods. It features elements that represent the county’s urban, suburban, and rural communities. At its center is the iconic historic courthouse and a scenic natural landscape, surrounded by tall buildings, a home, trees, open fields, a river, and a winding path. The official color palette—cobalt, frost, and marigold—reflects the authority, dependability, trust, and stability that residents should associate with a government entity.
The brand also includes a refined version of the County seal, strengthening the linework and simplifying the extraneous details, while retaining all of its original elements. This revised one-color seal preserves the history and legacy of Montgomery County while modernizing its design for clarity, accessibility, and contemporary use.
The refined seal will remain the symbol of official County government business, while the new logo will appear across marketing and communications materials. A clear and recognizable brand helps residents, businesses, and visitors easily identify Montgomery County and strengthens the County’s voice in regional and national conversations. It also reflects the pride and energy of the people who call the County home.
This is the County’s first-ever brand and the first update to the County seal in over 25 years. The seal, which was originally created in 1902, has only been updated twice in the last century—once in 1985 to incorporate the Dutch lily, the County’s official flower, and again in 1999, to recognize the contributions of both men and women toward the achievements of the County.
The brand was developed by Iris Creative, a Fort Washington-based branding agency. Iris Creative was awarded the contract on June 27, 2024, totaling $84,950, after an extensive procurement process that received proposals from firms around the country.
The public can expect to see the updated branding rolled out across County websites, publications, and promotional materials throughout 2026.
