Terracotta Color
Terracotta is a orange color with hex code #CA6641. This page covers its meaning, all color values, harmonies, colors that go with terracotta, shades, tints, similar colors, CSS examples, FAQs, and WCAG contrast ratios.
Terracotta Color Values
What Does Terracotta Mean?
Terracotta belongs to the orange family of colors. Orange splits the difference between red's urgency and yellow's cheer. Food brands live here because warm oranges read as appetizing, and autumn design would be lost without them. As a rule of thumb, orange feels friendlier than red and louder than yellow. Terracotta sits at a mid-lightness, which keeps it readable on both white and black without much fuss.
In the ISCC-NBS color naming system, Terracotta is classified as a orange (nearest centroid: moderate reddish orange, #CB6D51). It is also known as Zōng Hóng Red.
Color Harmonies
Complementary
Analogous
Triadic
Colors That Go With Terracotta
Terracotta and #40A5C9 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 — #C94060 and #C9A940, which sit beside terracotta on the wheel. Pairings like this feel calm and settled, which suits backgrounds and gradients.
For an energetic three-color palette, pair terracotta with triadic partners #40C965 and #6540C9. 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
- Terracota —
#CB6843(Delta E 1) - Terra Cotta —
#C9643B(Delta E 2) - Tuscany —
#BD5E2E(Delta E 7) - Red Damask —
#DA6A41(Delta E 7) - Adobe —
#BD6C48(Delta E 9)
CSS Examples
.text { color: #CA6641; }
.background { background-color: #CA6641; }
.border { border: 2px solid #CA6641; }
.shadow { box-shadow: 0 4px 6px #CA664140; }WCAG Contrast
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the hex code for terracotta?
Terracotta has the hex code #CA6641. In RGB notation it is rgb(202, 102, 65), in HSL it is hsl(16, 56%, 52%), and its OKLCH value is 0.622, 0.137, 40.5.
What does the color terracotta mean?
Orange-family colors like terracotta carry distinct psychological associations. Terracotta belongs to the orange family of colors. Orange splits the difference between red's urgency and yellow's cheer. Food brands live here because warm oranges read as appetizing, and autumn design would be lost without them. As a rule of thumb, orange feels friendlier than red and louder than yellow. Terracotta sits at a mid-lightness, which keeps it readable on both white and black without much fuss.
What colors go with terracotta?
Terracotta has three easy routes: its complement #40A5C9 for punch, its neighbors #C94060 and #C9A940 for something calmer, or triadic partners #40C965 and #6540C9 when you want energy.
Is terracotta a standard web color?
No — Terracotta is not a CSS keyword. Use its hex value #CA6641 or any RGB/HSL equivalent in your stylesheets.
How do I make terracotta lighter or darker?
To lighten terracotta, 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 #F6E5DF (lightest tint) to #24110A (darkest shade).
About Terracotta
Terracotta is classified as a Orange in the ISCC-NBS color naming system, within the Orange hue family. It has alternative names including Zōng Hóng Red. The color is recognized by XKCD, meodai.
Use our Color Converter to convert #CA6641 to any other color format, or explore the Color Wheel to find harmonious color combinations.