Boston Blue Color
Boston Blue is a cyan color with hex code #3B91B4. This page covers its meaning, all color values, harmonies, colors that go with boston blue, shades, tints, similar colors, CSS examples, FAQs, and WCAG contrast ratios.
Boston Blue Color Values
What Does Boston Blue Mean?
Boston Blue belongs to the cyan family of colors. The cyan family covers turquoise, teal, and aqua: blue calmed down with a little green mixed in. Travel sites, spas, and healthcare brands camp here because these hues read as fresh and clean without turning clinical. Boston Blue sits at a mid-lightness, which keeps it readable on both white and black without much fuss.
In the ISCC-NBS color naming system, Boston Blue is classified as a blue (nearest centroid: vivid greenish blue, #0085A1).
Color Harmonies
Complementary
Analogous
Triadic
Colors That Go With Boston Blue
Boston Blue and #B55D3B are complements, parked opposite each other on the wheel. Together they hit maximum contrast, so a rough 70/30 split keeps the pairing from shouting.
Analogous neighbors — #3BB59A and #3B55B5, which sit beside boston blue on the wheel. Pairings like this feel calm and settled, which suits backgrounds and gradients.
For an energetic three-color palette, pair boston blue with triadic partners #B53B92 and #92B53B. All three sit evenly spaced around the wheel, so the scheme stays lively without clashing.
Build and test these combinations in our Color Wheel Tool or check text readability with the Contrast Checker.
Tints and Shades
Tints (lighter)
Shades (darker)
Similar Colors
- Blue Green —
#0D98BA(Delta E 7) - Dirty Blue —
#3F829D(Delta E 8) - Astral —
#327DA0(Delta E 8) - Jelly Bean —
#297B9A(Delta E 9) - Hippie Blue —
#589AAF(Delta E 9)
CSS Examples
.text { color: #3B91B4; }
.background { background-color: #3B91B4; }
.border { border: 2px solid #3B91B4; }
.shadow { box-shadow: 0 4px 6px #3B91B440; }WCAG Contrast
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the hex code for boston blue?
Boston Blue has the hex code #3B91B4. In RGB notation it is rgb(59, 145, 180), in HSL it is hsl(197, 51%, 47%), and its OKLCH value is 0.619, 0.097, 228.4.
What does the color boston blue mean?
Cyan-family colors like boston blue carry distinct psychological associations. Boston Blue belongs to the cyan family of colors. The cyan family covers turquoise, teal, and aqua: blue calmed down with a little green mixed in. Travel sites, spas, and healthcare brands camp here because these hues read as fresh and clean without turning clinical. Boston Blue sits at a mid-lightness, which keeps it readable on both white and black without much fuss.
What colors go with boston blue?
Boston Blue has three easy routes: its complement #B55D3B for punch, its neighbors #3BB59A and #3B55B5 for something calmer, or triadic partners #B53B92 and #92B53B when you want energy.
Is boston blue a standard web color?
No — Boston Blue is not a CSS keyword. Use its hex value #3B91B4 or any RGB/HSL equivalent in your stylesheets.
How do I make boston blue lighter or darker?
To lighten boston blue, add white to create tints; to darken it, add black to create shades. The tints and shades table above shows five computed steps of each, from #DCEDF4 (lightest tint) to #0A191F (darkest shade).
About Boston Blue
Boston Blue is classified as a Blue in the ISCC-NBS color naming system, within the Cyan hue family. It has The color is recognized by Resene.
Use our Color Converter to convert #3B91B4 to any other color format, or explore the Color Wheel to find harmonious color combinations.