🇺🇸 The colours of the United States
12 meanings recorded, 87 colours tied to the country and 7 colour cities.
The United States flag features red and white stripes with a blue rectangle holding fifty white stars. The stripes recall the original thirteen colonies, while the stars represent each state in the Union. These colours and shapes have come to symbolise unity and the country’s founding history.
Where no official value is given, the swatch shows the colour family, not the exact shade.
- Each star on the flag stands for a U.S. state.
- The thirteen stripes recall the first colonies.
- The flag’s design has changed 26 times since 1777.
- The current 50-star flag was adopted in 1960.
- The colours red, white, and blue have no official meaning.
The colours of the flag of the United States
The flag of the United States is made up of thirteen horizontal stripes in red and white, beginning with red at the top. In the upper corner, a blue rectangle contains fifty white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine rows. Each star stands for a state, while each stripe marks one of the thirteen colonies that became independent from Britain. The meanings of the colours themselves are not officially set, but the arrangement of stars and stripes is tied to the country’s history and its growth.
How the colours were chosen of the United States
The current flag is the result of many changes since 1777, with each new state adding a star. The first flag with stripes appeared in 1775, with a British symbol in the corner, showing both loyalty and a wish for self-rule. The design changed in 1777 to include stars on blue, and over time, the number of stars grew as the country expanded. Early flags varied in the number and colour of stripes, and the arrangement of stars was not fixed until later.
Official shades and rules of the United States
The flag’s colours do not have official shades set by law, and the arrangement of stars and stripes was not strictly defined at first. Early makers chose their own layouts and sometimes used different numbers of points for the stars. The number of stars is updated when a new state joins, but the colours themselves remain consistent.
The facts in this overview come from the Wikipedia article "Flag of the United States", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. 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.
What colours mean in the United States
Customs vary by region, faith and family; these are the meanings most often recorded.
Since the television maps of the 2000 election, red has meant the Republican Party and blue the Democrats, giving the phrases red state and blue state. Before then the networks had no fixed scheme.
Politics and protestSource: Red states and blue statesOrange and black are the colours of Halloween, 31 October: orange for pumpkins and autumn leaves, black for night.
Festival and celebrationDanger and warningFearSource: HalloweenA yellow ribbon tied round a tree or pinned to a coat means someone is waiting for a loved one to come home. It spread during the Iran hostage crisis of 1979 to 1981.
Protection and healingLove and desireHopeSource: Yellow ribbonSchool buses across the country are painted one shade of yellow, agreed at a conference in 1939 because black lettering on it is easy to read in early morning light.
Protection and healingSource: School bus yellowPaper money is nicknamed the greenback, after the green ink on the backs of notes first issued during the Civil War. Green has stood for money ever since.
Luck and prosperitySource: Greenback (1860s money)On Saint Patrick's Day, Chicago dyes its river bright green, a custom begun in 1962, and people who wear no green risk a playful pinch.
Festival and celebrationJoySource: Saint Patrick's Day in the United StatesThe flag's colours have no official meaning. For the Great Seal of 1782, though, blue was said to stand for vigilance, perseverance and justice, white for purity and red for hardiness and valour.
Politics and protestTrustSource: Flag of the United StatesThe Purple Heart is the medal given to members of the armed forces wounded or killed in action. It is a purple heart with a profile of George Washington.
Protection and healingCourageSource: Purple HeartThe pink ribbon has stood for breast cancer awareness since the early 1990s. Each October, sports teams and shops turn pink for the cause.
Protection and healingHopeSource: Pink ribbonPink for girls and blue for boys became the firm rule in American shops only around the middle of the twentieth century. Earlier advice was mixed and sometimes the other way round.
Love and desireSource: PinkWomen campaigning for the vote marched in white dresses. Women in Congress have worn white to presidential addresses in memory of them.
Politics and protestPurity and peaceCourageSource: Women's suffrage in the United StatesA gold star stands for a family member killed in military service. The custom began in the First World War, when families changed the blue star on a window banner to gold.
Mourning and deathGriefSource: Service flagColour and feeling in the United States
The yellow smiley face was drawn in 1963 by Harvey Ball in Worcester, Massachusetts, for an insurance company's staff campaign.
Red roses and red hearts became the standard Valentine's Day gift in the nineteenth century, helped by cheap printed cards.
The blues grew among African Americans in the Deep South in the late nineteenth century and gave English its best known colour word for sorrow.
Gullah Geechee families in South Carolina and Georgia painted porch ceilings pale 'haint blue', said to keep wandering spirits from entering.
Baker-Miller pink was tested in a naval jail in Seattle in 1979 and reported to calm inmates. Later controlled studies did not confirm it.
Yellow ribbons were tied to trees during the Iran hostage crisis of 1979 to 1981 as a sign of hope for the captives' safe return.
IBM has long been nicknamed 'Big Blue', and blue remains the most common logo colour among large American banks and technology firms.
The Purple Heart is awarded to service members wounded or killed in action. Its colour comes from a purple cloth badge created by George Washington in 1782.
Gilbert Baker made the first rainbow flag for the 1978 Gay Freedom Day parade in San Francisco. The common version has six stripes.
The red, black and green Pan-African flag was adopted in 1920 by the movement led by Jamaican-born Marcus Garvey, as a sign of Black pride.
In Hawthorne's novel The Scarlet Letter (1850), Hester Prynne is made to wear a scarlet letter A on her dress as a public mark of shame.
In Pixar's film Inside Out (2015) the character Disgust is green from head to toe, matching the green of a queasy cartoon face.
Unexpected news comes 'out of the blue' or as 'a bolt from the blue', the blue being a clear sky from which lightning should not fall.
At 'gender reveal' parties, a custom that spread after 2008, pink or blue is hidden in a cake or balloon and shown at a set moment.
The blues, born among African Americans in the Deep South, made blue the colour of being left alone, and gave English the phrase 'singing the blues'.
The warm, saturated look of mid-century colour slide film has become the standard film and advertising shorthand for an American childhood.
Colour cities of the United States
🇺🇸 Red Rock CountrySedonaA small Arizona city ringed by towers and cliffs of red sandstone, with rules that keep buildings muted.
🇺🇸 The adobe citySanta FeNew Mexico's capital, where a city rule keeps buildings in earth-coloured adobe style with turquoise trim.
🇺🇸 Art Deco pastelsMiami BeachHundreds of 1930s hotels in pink, mint, aqua and peach line the streets behind the beach, with neon at night.
🇺🇸 Purple, green and goldNew OrleansA city of brightly painted cottages and iron balconies, dressed in purple, green and gold each carnival.
🇺🇸 Rainbow RowCharlestonThirteen Georgian merchants' houses in a row, each a different pastel, on the waterfront of a southern port.
🇺🇸 Painted Ladies and International OrangeSan FranciscoA red-orange bridge chosen to show through fog, and Victorian wooden houses painted in three or more colours.
🇺🇸 City of yellow cabsNew YorkYellow taxis thread streets of brown stone, grey steel and glass; a green statue stands in the harbour.Colours tied to the United States
#FF0000
Red
A primary colour seen in light, pigment, and tradition worldwideBasic colour · 🇺🇸 United States +5
#FFFF00
Yellow
A primary colour between green and orange, seen in sunlight, leaves, and pigmentsBasic colour · 🇫🇷 France +5
#800080
Purple
A cool colour between red and blue, long linked with royalty and rarityBasic colour · 🇱🇧 Lebanon +5
#6A5DFF
Indigo
A deep blue named for the dye once exported from IndiaNamed shade · 🇮🇳 India +5
Red
Cinnabar
A scarlet to brick-red mineral and the main source of mercury and vermilion pigmentColour named from nature · 🇪🇸 Spain +5
Brown
Terracotta
A clay-based material and colour, known for its reddish-brown toneColour named from nature · 🇮🇳 India +4
#C3B091
Khaki
A light tan with a yellowish tinge, once made for military uniformsNamed shade · 🇮🇳 India +2
Red
Carmine
A deep red pigment made from cochineal insects, once prized across continentsPigment · 🇫🇷 France +2
#50C878
Paris Green
A toxic emerald-green pigment once prized in art and used as an early insecticidePigment · 🇩🇪 Germany +4
Red
Sindoorसिन्दूर
A red or orange-red powder marking marriage for Hindu women in South AsiaTraditional colour · 🇮🇳 India +4
Green
Malachite green
A synthetic green dye once common for silk, now controversial in aquacultureDye · 🇨🇳 China +3
#000080
Navy blue
A deep blue shade named for the uniforms of the Royal NavyNamed shade · 🇺🇸 United States +2
#002366
Royal blue
A strong, deep blue linked with royalty and national flagsNamed shade · 🇫🇷 France +4
#BA160C
International orange
A strong reddish-orange used for safety in engineering, aerospace and maritime workNamed shade · 🇺🇸 United States +1
#FFD800
School bus yellow
A yellow made for North American school buses to stand out and be seenNamed shade · 🇺🇸 United States +2
#2E5090
YInMn Blue
A modern, stable blue pigment made from yttrium, indium and manganese oxidesPigment · 🇺🇸 United States +1
#FF7800
Safety orange
A vivid orange used for high-visibility and safety markingNamed shade · 🇺🇸 United States +4
#E32636
Rose madder
A traditional red pigment made from the roots of the madder plantPigment · 🇪🇬 Egypt +5
#CE2029
Fire engine red
A bright red shade long used on fire engines and emergency vehiclesNamed shade · 🇺🇸 United States +1
#FFFEEF
Titanium white
A bright white pigment made from titanium dioxide, valued for its strong coveragePigment · 🇺🇸 United States +1
Turquoise and cyan
Haint blue
A pale blue-green paint used on porch ceilings in the Southern United StatesNamed shade · 🇺🇸 United States
#FA5053
Strawberry
A bright red colour inspired by the ripe strawberry fruitNamed shade · 🇫🇷 France +4
#8C1515
Stanford Cardinal Red
A deep red colour used by Stanford University in its identity and sportsNamed shade · 🇺🇸 United States
White
Titanium dioxide
A brilliant white pigment made from titanium, used in paints, food and sunscreenPigment · 🇨🇳 China +5
#86A1A9
Tourmalineටෝරමල්ලි
A mineral group prized for its rainbow of gemstone coloursColour named from nature · 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka +5
Brown
Goethite
A yellowish to reddish brown mineral used as a pigment since ancient timesPigment · 🇩🇪 Germany +3
#3E8EDE
Tufts Blue
A clear blue used as the official colour of Tufts UniversityNational or team colour · 🇺🇸 United States
Blue
Lazurite
A deep blue mineral that gives lapis lazuli its colourColour named from nature · 🇦🇫 Afghanistan +2
White
Antimony trioxide
A white antimony compound used in flame retardants and glassmakingPigment · 🇨🇳 China +4
Yellow
Palomino
A golden-coated horse with a pale mane and tail, prized for its striking lookNamed shade · 🇺🇸 United States
Brown
Pinto horse
A horse coat with large patches of white and another colourNamed shade · 🇺🇸 United States +2
#FFC680
Buff
A pale brownish yellow named for the colour of natural leatherNamed shade · 🇺🇸 United States +3
#020D15
Gunmetal
A dark copper alloy once used for casting guns and now valued for its strength and finishNamed shade · 🇺🇸 United States
#D2B48C
Tan
A light brown shade named after oak bark used in leather tanningNamed shade · 🇺🇸 United States +1
#F0F8FF
Alice blue
A pale blue shade named for Alice Roosevelt, once a fashion trend in the USNamed shade · 🇺🇸 United States
#FBEC5D
Maize
A yellow named for the colour of maize grains, ranging from pale to goldenNamed shade · 🇺🇸 United States +1
#2D68C4
UCLA Blue
A clear blue shade worn by UCLA's teams and tied to the Pacific coastNamed shade · 🇺🇸 United States
#EDC9AF
Desert sand
A pale, reddish yellow inspired by the colour of sand in desertsNamed shade · 🇺🇸 United States
Orange
Tenné
A rare heraldic stain of orange-tawny, named for tanned leatherNamed shade · 🇫🇷 France +3
#5D8AA8
Air Force blue
A medium blue-green shade linked to air force uniforms and flagsNamed shade · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom +3
#FFFACD
Lemon chiffon
A pale yellow web colour named after a light, airy cakeScreen colour · 🇺🇸 United States
White
Anti-flash white
A special white paint used on nuclear bombers to reflect heat from nuclear blastsNamed shade · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom +4
#3B7A57
Jungle green
A rich medium green named for the colour of dense rainforest foliageNamed shade · 🇺🇸 United States +1
Blue
Blue hair
Hair coloured blue by dye, art, or nature’s rare effectsNamed shade · 🇯🇵 Japan +5
#91A3B0
Cadet grey
A blue-tinged grey once common in military uniformsNamed shade · 🇺🇸 United States +3
#B9D9EB
Columbia blue
A pale blue shade first used by Columbia University and its student societiesNamed shade · 🇺🇸 United States
#FFDEAD
Navajo white
A pale yellow-orange paint shade named for the Navajo Nation flag’s backgroundNamed shade · 🇺🇸 United States
White
Overo
A group of white-over-dark pinto patterns in horses, not related to tobianoNamed shade · 🇺🇸 United States
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Buff: Johan, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Columbia blue: F. Earl Christy, Public domain, source
- Maize: en:User:Pratheepps, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Desert sand: Luca Galuzzi ( Lucag ), CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Fire engine red: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Indigo: Photo by Evan Izer ( Palladian ), CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Lemon chiffon: Kimberly Vardeman, CC BY 2.0, source
- Navy blue: Official Navy Page, Public domain, source
- Paris Green: Chris goulet at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Safety orange: George Armstrong, Public domain, source
- Strawberry: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- UCLA Blue: mark6mauno, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Tan: Mwanner, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Tourmaline: Aurelienreys, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Tufts Blue: HereToHelp, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- YInMn Blue: Mas Subramanian, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Lazurite: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Tenné: Arthur Charles Fox-Davies, Public domain, source
- Khaki: Mehlauge, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Haint blue: Lake Lou, CC BY 2.0, source
- Air Force blue: Mick, CC BY 2.0, source
- Titanium white: Arthur Dove, Public domain, source
- Titanium dioxide: The original uploader was Walkerma at English Wikipedia ., Public domain, source
- Carmine: Stephhzz, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Goethite: Raimond Spekking, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Stanford Cardinal Red: King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Pinto horse: Michael Apel, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Palomino: (a friend of) Kvetina-Marie, CC BY 2.0, source
- Anti-flash white: Alex Beltyukov, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Terracotta: anonymous, CC0, source
- Cinnabar: H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Sindoor: Masum-al-hasan, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Blue hair: Kevin Dooley, CC BY 2.0, source
- Overo: User:Malcolm Morley, CC BY 2.5, source
- Red: Sander van der Wel, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Yellow: Mark Robinson, CC BY 2.0, source
- School bus yellow: BMRR ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Purple: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- International orange: Ad Meskens, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Sedona Us: Adam Baker, CC BY 2.0, source
- Santa Fe Us: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Miami Beach Us: Massimo Catarinella, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- New Orleans Us: thepipe26, CC BY 2.0, source
- Charleston Us: Ymblanter, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- San Francisco Us: Lightandtruth, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- New York Us: Z22, CC BY-SA 3.0, source