Dark Aqua Color
Dark Aqua is a cyan color with hex code #05696B. This page covers its meaning, all color values, harmonies, colors that go with dark aqua, shades, tints, similar colors, CSS examples, FAQs, and WCAG contrast ratios.
Dark Aqua Color Values
What Does Dark Aqua Mean?
Dark Aqua 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. Being on the dark side, Dark Aqua adds weight and depth. It suits text, shadows, and grounding elements more than wide-open backgrounds.
In the ISCC-NBS color naming system, Dark Aqua is classified as a green (nearest centroid: moderate bluish green, #317873). It is also known as Aqua Obscura.
Color Harmonies
Complementary
Analogous
Triadic
Colors That Go With Dark Aqua
Dark Aqua and #6B0705 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 — #056B3A and #05366B, which sit beside dark aqua on the wheel. Pairings like this feel calm and settled, which suits backgrounds and gradients.
For an energetic three-color palette, pair dark aqua with triadic partners #6B0569 and #696B05. 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
- Mosque —
#036A6E(Delta E 1) - Blue Stone —
#016162(Delta E 3) - Atoll —
#0A6F75(Delta E 3) - Deep Turquoise —
#017374(Delta E 4) - Dark Aquamarine —
#017371(Delta E 5)
CSS Examples
.text { color: #05696B; }
.background { background-color: #05696B; }
.border { border: 2px solid #05696B; }
.shadow { box-shadow: 0 4px 6px #05696B40; }WCAG Contrast
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the hex code for dark aqua?
Dark Aqua has the hex code #05696B. In RGB notation it is rgb(5, 105, 107), in HSL it is hsl(181, 91%, 22%), and its OKLCH value is 0.473, 0.079, 197.1.
What does the color dark aqua mean?
Cyan-family colors like dark aqua carry distinct psychological associations. Dark Aqua 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. Being on the dark side, Dark Aqua adds weight and depth. It suits text, shadows, and grounding elements more than wide-open backgrounds.
What colors go with dark aqua?
Dark Aqua has three easy routes: its complement #6B0705 for punch, its neighbors #056B3A and #05366B for something calmer, or triadic partners #6B0569 and #696B05 when you want energy.
Is dark aqua a standard web color?
No — Dark Aqua is not a CSS keyword. Use its hex value #05696B or any RGB/HSL equivalent in your stylesheets.
How do I make dark aqua lighter or darker?
To lighten dark aqua, 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 #C0FBFC (lightest tint) to #011313 (darkest shade).
About Dark Aqua
Dark Aqua is classified as a Green in the ISCC-NBS color naming system, within the Cyan hue family. It has alternative names including Aqua Obscura. The color is recognized by XKCD, meodai.
Use our Color Converter to convert #05696B to any other color format, or explore the Color Wheel to find harmonious color combinations.