SkyBlue Color
SkyBlue is a cyan color with hex code #87CEEB. This page covers its meaning, all color values, harmonies, colors that go with skyblue, shades, tints, similar colors, CSS examples, FAQs, and WCAG contrast ratios.
SkyBlue Color Values
What Does SkyBlue Mean?
SkyBlue 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. As a lighter shade, SkyBlue reads as airy and understated, comfortable working in backgrounds and across big surfaces.
In the ISCC-NBS color naming system, SkyBlue is classified as a blue (nearest centroid: very light greenish blue, #9CD1DC). It is also known as Afternoon Sky.
Color Harmonies
Complementary
Analogous
Triadic
Colors That Go With SkyBlue
SkyBlue and #EBA589 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 — #89EBD6 and #899EEB, which sit beside skyblue on the wheel. Pairings like this feel calm and settled, which suits backgrounds and gradients.
For an energetic three-color palette, pair skyblue with triadic partners #EB89CF and #CFEB89. 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
- Seagull —
#80CCEA(Delta E 2) - Anakiwa —
#9DE5FF(Delta E 8) - LightSkyBlue —
#87CEFA(Delta E 8) - Light Blue —
#95D0FC(Delta E 9) - Malibu —
#7DC8F7(Delta E 10)
CSS Examples
.text { color: #87CEEB; }
.background { background-color: #87CEEB; }
.border { border: 2px solid #87CEEB; }
.shadow { box-shadow: 0 4px 6px #87CEEB40; }WCAG Contrast
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the hex code for skyblue?
SkyBlue has the hex code #87CEEB. In RGB notation it is rgb(135, 206, 235), in HSL it is hsl(197, 71%, 73%), and its OKLCH value is 0.815, 0.082, 225.8.
What does the color skyblue mean?
Cyan-family colors like skyblue carry distinct psychological associations. SkyBlue 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. As a lighter shade, SkyBlue reads as airy and understated, comfortable working in backgrounds and across big surfaces.
What colors go with skyblue?
SkyBlue has three easy routes: its complement #EBA589 for punch, its neighbors #89EBD6 and #899EEB for something calmer, or triadic partners #EB89CF and #CFEB89 when you want energy.
Is skyblue a standard web color?
Yes — SkyBlue is part of the CSS named colors specification, so you can use it directly in CSS as #87CEEB or with the keyword form where supported.
How do I make skyblue lighter or darker?
To lighten skyblue, 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 #EEF8FC (lightest tint) to #092834 (darkest shade).
About SkyBlue
SkyBlue is classified as a Blue in the ISCC-NBS color naming system, within the Cyan hue family. It has alternative names including Afternoon Sky. The color is recognized by CSS3, X11, meodai.
Use our Color Converter to convert #87CEEB to any other color format, or explore the Color Wheel to find harmonious color combinations.