Turquoise Color Palette
Turquoise is hex #40E0D0, rgb(64, 224, 208). Turquoise is a bright greenish blue named after the gemstone. It is tropical, refreshing and cheerful.
By Mohamed Farhan · Updated Oct 19, 2026
Turquoise color codes
Reading the turquoise color codes
The hex code #40E0D0 is three pairs of base-16 numbers for red, green and blue. 40 is 64, E0 is 224 and D0 is 208, each on a scale from 0 to 255. That is why the same color is written rgb(64, 224, 208) in CSS. The green channel is the strongest here, which is what gives turquoise its teal-green character.
HSL describes the same color the way people think about it. A hue of 174 degrees places turquoise in the teal-green part of the color wheel. Saturation of 72% makes it vivid, and lightness of 56% makes it a mid-tone 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 71% cyan, 0% magenta, 7% yellow and 12% 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 turquoise for packaging or stationery. See MDN's guide to CSS color values for every format browsers accept.
Turquoise shades and tints
A full 50 to 950 scale built around #40E0D0, so you can use turquoise for backgrounds, borders, buttons and text without leaving the family. Click any shade to copy it.
// tailwind.config.js
theme: {
extend: {
colors: {
"turquoise": {
50: "#D9F9F6",
100: "#BAF4EE",
200: "#9CEFE7",
300: "#7DEADF",
400: "#5FE5D8",
500: "#40E0D0",
600: "#37C2B4",
700: "#2EA398",
800: "#24857B",
900: "#1B675F",
950: "#124843",
},
},
},
}:root {
--turquoise-50: #D9F9F6;
--turquoise-100: #BAF4EE;
--turquoise-200: #9CEFE7;
--turquoise-300: #7DEADF;
--turquoise-400: #5FE5D8;
--turquoise-500: #40E0D0;
--turquoise-600: #37C2B4;
--turquoise-700: #2EA398;
--turquoise-800: #24857B;
--turquoise-900: #1B675F;
--turquoise-950: #124843;
}A shade-by-shade guide to turquoise
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 (#D9F9F6) and 100 (#BAF4EE), are page and card backgrounds: they carry the turquoise mood without competing with content. Steps 200 (#9CEFE7) and 300 (#7DEADF) suit borders, dividers, hover states and selected rows.
The middle of the scale, 400 to 600, is where turquoise 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 700.
The darkest steps, 800 (#24857B) through 950 (#124843), make headings, body text and dark-mode surfaces that stay clearly related to turquoise. 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 turquoise
How the turquoise color combinations work
Complementary. Directly across the color wheel from turquoise is #E04050, which sits closest to brick red 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. #40E080 and #40A0E0 sit 30 degrees either side of turquoise. 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 (#D040E0 and #E0D040) is evenly spaced around the wheel and feels playful; the second color is closest to hot pink. The split complementary set (#E040A0 and #E08040) 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 #C4F5F0 to #147D72. 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.
Turquoise compared with similar colors
sky blue (#87CEEB) is lighter (73% vs 56% lightness) and similarly saturated, and leans further around the wheel toward cyan. Choose sky blue if you want a softer, airier version; choose turquoise if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
electric blue (#7DF9FF) is lighter (75% vs 56% lightness) and more saturated, and leans further around the wheel toward cyan. Choose electric blue if you want a softer, airier version; choose turquoise if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
baby blue (#89CFF0) is lighter (74% vs 56% lightness) and more saturated, and leans further around the wheel toward cyan. Choose baby blue if you want a softer, airier version; choose turquoise if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
Turquoise in a real interface
Swatches only tell half the story. Here turquoise carries the primary action, with tints from its own scale for the surface and panels.
Weekly summary
Revenue grew 12% this week. Three invoices are waiting for approval.
Using turquoise in UI: buttons, text, backgrounds and dark mode
- Buttons. White labels on turquoise only reach 1.64:1, so use dark text (12.79:1 with black) or a deeper shade for the button.
- Text. Avoid turquoise for body text on white; use step 900 or darker for links and headings that need to read as turquoise.
- Backgrounds. Use steps 50 and 100 for large areas and keep the base color for smaller surfaces. Big blocks of a vivid mid-tone 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 turquoise. 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). Turquoise scores 1.64:1 against white (Fail) and 12.79:1 against black (AAA). 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 turquoise alone to signal meaning such as success, error or selection. Pair it with an icon, a label or a change in weight.
What turquoise means
Teal and cyan sit between blue's trust and green's freshness. They read as clear, clinical, modern and a little optimistic.
Turquoise is named after the gemstone, whose name comes from the French for 'Turkish', because the stone reached Europe through Turkey. It has been valued in jewelry for thousands of years.
Teal makes a strong primary for health, fintech and productivity tools. Check contrast carefully: mid teals often fail with white text at small sizes.
Where turquoise works best
- Travel and resorts
- Jewellery
- Summer campaigns
- Health and fitness
How to style turquoise
Turquoise pairs with coral, white, sand and deep navy. It needs dark text. Use it as a cheerful accent or background in travel, fitness and summer campaigns.
Build a UI with turquoise
Inspo AI generates a full React + Tailwind screen using #40E0D0 as the brand color, grounded in real shipped designs.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Turquoise · History and definition of turquoise.
- 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 turquoise?
The hex code for turquoise used on this page is #40E0D0. In RGB that is rgb(64, 224, 208), and in HSL it is hsl(174, 72%, 56%).
What colors go well with turquoise?
Turquoise pairs well with #D6F7F3, #FFFFFF, #0F4C5C (the Cenote palette above). Its complementary color is #E04050, and analogous colors are #40E080 and #40A0E0.
Is turquoise a warm or cool color?
Turquoise is a cool color. Its hue sits at 174 degrees on the color wheel with 72% saturation.
Can I use turquoise for text?
Turquoise has a contrast ratio of 1.64:1 against white and 12.79:1 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 turquoise mean?
Teal and cyan sit between blue's trust and green's freshness. They read as clear, clinical, modern and a little optimistic. Turquoise in particular is used for travel and resorts and jewellery.
How do I use turquoise in Tailwind CSS?
Use an arbitrary value like bg-[#40E0D0] 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-turquoise-500 and text-turquoise-900.
↘ Building Inspo AI | AI-Powered Design Research & Builder Platform | Design Engineer.