Portland Orange
A vivid orange-red used for 'don't walk' pedestrian signals in North America
Portland Orange is a strong reddish-orange shade used in pedestrian crossing lights to signal when not to cross in the United States and Canada. It was selected to stand out from standard traffic lights, especially when visibility is low, and is precisely defined by technical standards.
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- Used for 'don't walk' signals in the US and Canada
- Chosen to be distinct from traffic lights
- Defined by strict technical standards
- Produced by LEDs or gas tubing
- Not commonly used outside North America
What colour is Portland Orange?
Portland Orange is a bright, reddish-orange colour. It is most often seen as the glowing signal telling people not to cross at pedestrian crossings in the United States and Canada. The colour is vivid and stands apart from the reds and greens used in traffic lights, making it easy to notice even when the weather is poor or there is glare.
Where does Portland Orange come from?
The name Portland Orange comes from its use in official standards, not from a natural source or a city. It was chosen for pedestrian signals to make sure people could easily tell it apart from other lights on the road. The exact shade is set by transportation authorities to keep it consistent everywhere it is used.
How is Portland Orange made?
This colour is produced by using specific kinds of light sources, such as LEDs or gas-filled tubes, which are tuned to emit the right wavelength. The Institute of Transportation Engineers gives a very narrow range for the exact colour, allowing only a small difference in wavelength to keep the look uniform.
Where Portland Orange is used
Portland Orange is mainly found in the 'don't walk' part of pedestrian signals in North America. Its use is required by law in the United States and Canada for this purpose. The colour is not widely used elsewhere, as most other countries use red or another colour for the same signal.
Orange around the world
What the orange family means from country to country.
On 30 September people wear orange shirts to remember the children sent to residential schools. Phyllis Webstad's new orange shirt was taken from her on her first day at one.
Mourning and deathPolitics and protestGriefSource: National Day for Truth and ReconciliationOrange is also the colour of the New Democratic Party. Its sweep of Quebec seats in the 2011 election was called the Orange Wave.
Politics and protestSource: New Democratic PartyOrange and black are the colours of Halloween, 31 October: orange for pumpkins and autumn leaves, black for night.
Festival and celebrationDanger and warningFearSource: HalloweenThe lowest band of the flag is orange, often called apricot, after the national fruit. The constitution says it stands for the creative talent and hard work of the people.
Politics and protestNature and renewalPrideSource: Flag of ArmeniaThe flag is split corner to corner. The orange half stands for the Buddhist tradition, and the white dragon across the middle for purity.
Sacred and holySource: Flag of BhutanThe flag shows the island in copper orange on white. The colour recalls copper, which was mined here in ancient times and may have taken its name from Cyprus.
Politics and protestNature and renewalSource: Flag of CyprusShades and relatives of Portland Orange
Portland Orange is closely related to other vivid oranges and reds, but is set apart by its official definition for safety signals. It should not be confused with the red used in stoplights or the white used for 'walk' signals, both of which have their own standards.
Colours that go with Portland Orange
Harmonies are worked out from the value #FF5A36. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Portland Orange
What colour is Portland Orange?
Portland Orange is a strong, reddish-orange shade, officially defined for use in pedestrian signals in North America.
Where does the name Portland Orange come from?
The name comes from its use in technical standards, not from a city or natural source.
Where is Portland Orange used?
It is used for the 'don't walk' phase in pedestrian crossing lights in the United States and Canada.
How is Portland Orange made?
It is created using LEDs or gas tubes tuned to a precise wavelength, as set by transportation standards.
Is Portland Orange used outside North America?
No, most other countries use red or other colours for pedestrian signals instead.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Portland Orange", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Rang rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. The swatch is an approximation: named colours are not fixed standards, and every screen shows them a little differently. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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