Olive Green Color Palette
Olive Green is hex #808000, rgb(128, 128, 0). Olive is a dark yellow-green, the color of unripe olives. It is military and utilitarian in one context and Mediterranean and natural in another.
By Mohamed Farhan · Updated Oct 19, 2026
Olive Green color codes
Reading the olive green color codes
The hex code #808000 is three pairs of base-16 numbers for red, green and blue. 80 is 128, 80 is 128 and 00 is 0, each on a scale from 0 to 255. That is why the same color is written rgb(128, 128, 0) in CSS. The red channel is the strongest here, which is what gives olive green its yellow-orange character.
HSL describes the same color the way people think about it. A hue of 60 degrees places olive green in the yellow-orange part of the color wheel. Saturation of 100% makes it vivid, and lightness of 25% makes it a dark color. HSL is the easiest format to adjust by hand: keep the hue, then raise or lower lightness to create tints and shades that stay in the same family.
For print, the approximate CMYK mix is 0% cyan, 0% magenta, 100% yellow and 50% black. Screen and print colors never match perfectly, because monitors emit light while ink absorbs it, so always proof a printed sample before committing to olive green for packaging or stationery. See MDN's guide to CSS color values for every format browsers accept.
Olive Green shades and tints
A full 50 to 950 scale built around #808000, so you can use olive green for backgrounds, borders, buttons and text without leaving the family. Click any shade to copy it.
// tailwind.config.js
theme: {
extend: {
colors: {
"olive-green": {
50: "#ECECDA",
100: "#DFDFBE",
200: "#D1D1A3",
300: "#C4C488",
400: "#B6B66D",
500: "#A9A952",
600: "#9B9B36",
700: "#8E8E1B",
800: "#808000",
900: "#626200",
950: "#454500",
},
},
},
}:root {
--olive-green-50: #ECECDA;
--olive-green-100: #DFDFBE;
--olive-green-200: #D1D1A3;
--olive-green-300: #C4C488;
--olive-green-400: #B6B66D;
--olive-green-500: #A9A952;
--olive-green-600: #9B9B36;
--olive-green-700: #8E8E1B;
--olive-green-800: #808000;
--olive-green-900: #626200;
--olive-green-950: #454500;
}A shade-by-shade guide to olive green
The 50 to 950 scale above follows the same structure as Tailwind's built-in palettes, so each step has a natural job. The lightest steps, 50 (#ECECDA) and 100 (#DFDFBE), are page and card backgrounds: they carry the olive green mood without competing with content. Steps 200 (#D1D1A3) and 300 (#C4C488) suit borders, dividers, hover states and selected rows.
The middle of the scale, 400 to 600, is where olive green is most recognizable, so use it for brand moments, illustrations and primary buttons. White text reaches the 4.5:1 body-text contrast minimum from step 900 upward, so use step 900 or darker when a button label needs to be white. Near-black text stays readable on steps 50 to 800.
The darkest steps, 800 (#808000) through 950 (#454500), make headings, body text and dark-mode surfaces that stay clearly related to olive green. Using step 900 or 950 for text instead of pure black is one of the simplest ways to make an interface feel designed rather than default.
Colors that go with olive green
How the olive green color combinations work
Complementary. Directly across the color wheel from olive green is #000080, which sits closest to navy blue among common named colors. Complementary pairs create the strongest contrast of hue, so use the second color sparingly, for a single call to action or highlight, rather than in equal amounts.
Analogous. #804000 and #408000 sit 30 degrees either side of olive green. Analogous palettes feel calm and cohesive because the colors share undertones; they are ideal for illustrations, gradients and backgrounds where you want harmony more than contrast.
Triadic and split complementary. The triadic set (#008080 and #800080) is evenly spaced around the wheel and feels playful; the second color is closest to teal. The split complementary set (#004080 and #400080) keeps much of the complementary contrast but is easier to balance, which makes it a good choice for data visualization and multi-category tags.
Monochromatic. The monochromatic set runs from #FFFF1A to #292900. A single-hue palette is the safest way to build a calm, premium interface: rely on lightness for hierarchy, then add one neutral and one accent if you need emphasis.
Olive Green compared with similar colors
chocolate brown (#7B3F00) is about as light and similarly saturated, and leans back the wheel toward orange. Choose chocolate brown if you need more weight and contrast; choose olive green if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
copper (#B87333) is lighter (46% vs 25% lightness) and more muted, and leans back the wheel toward orange. Choose copper if you want a softer, airier version; choose olive green if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
ochre (#CC7722) is lighter (47% vs 25% lightness) and more muted, and leans back the wheel toward orange. Choose ochre if you want a softer, airier version; choose olive green if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
Olive Green in a real interface
Swatches only tell half the story. Here olive green carries the primary action, with tints from its own scale for the surface and panels.
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Using olive green in UI: buttons, text, backgrounds and dark mode
- Buttons. White labels on olive green reach 4.2:1, enough for large or bold text only. For regular button labels, use step 900 or switch to dark text.
- Text. Avoid olive green for body text on white; use step 900 or darker for links and headings that need to read as olive green.
- Backgrounds. Use steps 50 and 100 for large areas and keep the base color for smaller surfaces. Big blocks of a vivid dark color draw attention, so give them a reason, like a hero section or pricing highlight.
- Dark mode. Steps 900 and 950 make a dark surface tinted with olive green. On dark backgrounds the base color often needs a lighter step (300 or 400) to keep enough contrast for icons and borders, as required by WCAG non-text contrast.
- States. Shift one step darker for hover and two steps darker for pressed. Keep focus rings in a contrasting color so keyboard users can always see them.
Contrast and accessibility
AA needs 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text. AAA needs 7:1.
Color contrast is measured as a ratio from 1:1 (no contrast) to 21:1 (black on white). Olive Green scores 4.2:1 against white (AA large) and 5.01:1 against black (AA). The WCAG 2.1 contrast guideline asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text, which is why the shade guide above recommends specific steps for text and labels.
Contrast is only half of accessibility. Around 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women have some form of color vision deficiency, so never use olive green alone to signal meaning such as success, error or selection. Pair it with an icon, a label or a change in weight.
What olive green means
Green reads as growth, health, money and calm. Muted greens feel natural and organic; saturated greens feel fresh and energetic.
Olive is the color of unripe green olives. It has strong military associations through olive drab uniforms used in the 20th century, but it is equally tied to Mediterranean food, groves and landscapes. That dual identity makes it useful for both rugged and refined brands.
In interfaces green is already wired to mean success and confirmation, so if you use it as a brand color, pick a different hue (or a much darker shade) for success states so the two never get confused.
Where olive green works best
- Outdoor and workwear brands
- Mediterranean food
- Military-inspired fashion
- Sustainability products
How to style olive green
Olive pairs with cream, rust, terracotta, mustard and deep brown for earthy palettes, or with navy and white for a utilitarian look. It is too dark and yellow for comfortable white text at small sizes in some uses, so check contrast. Olive makes a sophisticated alternative to grey for secondary text in warm interfaces.
Build a UI with olive green
Inspo AI generates a full React + Tailwind screen using #808000 as the brand color, grounded in real shipped designs.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Olive Green · History and definition of olive green.
- WCAG 2.1: Contrast (Minimum) · The W3C rule behind the 4.5:1 and 3:1 thresholds used on this page.
- WCAG 2.1: Use of Color · Why color should never be the only way information is shown.
- MDN: CSS color values · Reference for hex, rgb() and hsl() syntax.
- Tailwind CSS: Customizing colors · How to add a custom color scale to your theme.
Similar colors
Questions people ask
What is the hex code for olive green?
The hex code for olive green used on this page is #808000. In RGB that is rgb(128, 128, 0), and in HSL it is hsl(60, 100%, 25%).
What colors go well with olive green?
Olive Green pairs well with #556B2F, #EFEBDC, #C8A165 (the Grove palette above). Its complementary color is #000080, and analogous colors are #804000 and #408000.
Is olive green a warm or cool color?
Olive Green is a warm color. Its hue sits at 60 degrees on the color wheel with 100% saturation.
Can I use olive green for text?
Olive Green has a contrast ratio of 4.2:1 against white and 5.01:1 against black. Body text needs at least 4.5:1, so it works as a background behind dark text, but not as text on white.
What does olive green mean?
Green reads as growth, health, money and calm. Muted greens feel natural and organic; saturated greens feel fresh and energetic. Olive Green in particular is used for outdoor and workwear brands and mediterranean food.
How do I use olive green in Tailwind CSS?
Use an arbitrary value like bg-[#808000] for a one-off, or add the 50-950 scale from this page to theme.extend.colors in tailwind.config.js and use classes like bg-olive-green-500 and text-olive-green-900.
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