City Island Color Palette
#8EB8C8 · #C8D8E8 · #E8C878 · #1E3A4A
Use #8EB8C8 as the background. Use #C8D8E8 as the primary accent. Use #E8C878 as secondary. Use #1E3A4A as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: City Island — seaside, village, nautical.
Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values
Technical breakdown for the City Island color scheme. Use these values for web design (HEX/RGB), print projects (CMYK), or specialized design software (HSL).
| Swatch | Design Role | HEX | RGB | CMYK | HSL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Background Luminance: 44.2% | 142, 184, 200 | 29%, 8%, 0%, 22% | 197°, 35%, 67% | ||
| Primary Accent Luminance: 67.2% | 200, 216, 232 | 14%, 7%, 0%, 9% | 210°, 41%, 85% | ||
| Secondary Luminance: 59.8% | 232, 200, 120 | 0%, 14%, 48%, 9% | 43°, 71%, 69% | ||
| Body Text Luminance: 3.8% | 30, 58, 74 | 59%, 22%, 0%, 71% | 202°, 42%, 20% |
City Island Tints & Shades
Hover states, borders and elevation need lighter and darker steps of your base colors. Here are computed tints and shades for every color in the City Island palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.
City Island Palette Contrast Matrix (WCAG 2.1)
Every color tested as text on every other color as background. Body copy needs 4.5:1 (AA), large text and UI components 3:1. AAA requires 7:1.
| Text on Background | Preview | Ratio | Grade | Safe For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1E3A4A on #C8D8E8 |
Aa Sample Text
| 8.21:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #C8D8E8 on #1E3A4A |
Aa Sample Text
| 8.21:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #1E3A4A on #E8C878 |
Aa Sample Text
| 7.37:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #E8C878 on #1E3A4A |
Aa Sample Text
| 7.37:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #1E3A4A on #8EB8C8 |
Aa Sample Text
| 5.59:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #8EB8C8 on #1E3A4A |
Aa Sample Text
| 5.59:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #C8D8E8 on #8EB8C8 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.47:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #8EB8C8 on #C8D8E8 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.47:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #E8C878 on #8EB8C8 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.32:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #8EB8C8 on #E8C878 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.32:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #E8C878 on #C8D8E8 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.11:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #C8D8E8 on #E8C878 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.11:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
Color Harmony: Split-Complementary Scheme
The City Island palette is built using a split-complementary relationship between its hues. This ensures that even with high-contrast accents, the overall scheme feels balanced and intentional.
A split-complementary palette is often preferred by professional designers because it balances visual interest with cohesion.
History & Design Context
Best Design Use Cases
Industries This Palette Suits
Colors That Pair Well With City Island
Need a fifth color? These three companions are computed from the palette's own hue positions on the color wheel, so they extend the scheme without breaking its harmony.
directly opposite #C8D8E8 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy
30° beside #C8D8E8 — a calm secondary that extends the palette without adding tension
a ink-black carrying the palette's own hue — perfect for surfaces and dividers
Using City Island Without Breaking Accessibility
- Avoid #C8D8E8 for small UI elements on #8EB8C8 — at 1.5:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
- Set body text in #1E3A4A — 5.6:1 against #8EB8C8 passes WCAG AA (AA) for long-form reading.
- Don't use #E8C878 behind body text — this light tone works better for surfaces, badges and dividers than for reading areas.
How to Implement the City Island Color Scheme
To use this City Island color palette in your web project, you can copy the following CSS variables or Tailwind CSS configuration. These roles ensure your UI maintains accessibility and visual hierarchy.
Option 1: CSS Variables
:root {
/* {name} Palette - ihatecolors.com */{'
'} --color-bg: {colors[0]};{'
'} --color-primary: {colors[1]};{'
'} --color-secondary: {colors[2]};{'
'} --color-text: {colors[3]};{'
'} {'}'} Web Design Tip
Use #8EB8C8 for the main background and #C8D8E8 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.
Accessibility Note
The contrast ratio between #1E3A4A and #8EB8C8 is 5.59:1 (AA). Ensure your body text remains legible.
City Island Palette — Frequently Asked Questions
What are the hex codes in the City Island color palette?
The City Island palette contains #8EB8C8, #C8D8E8, #E8C878, #1E3A4A. Click any swatch on this page to copy its value, or export all four at once as CSS variables, Tailwind config, SCSS or a Figma-ready list.
Is the City Island color palette accessible (WCAG)?
Yes for its strongest pairings: #1E3A4A on #C8D8E8 reaches 8.2:1 (AAA). For body text always keep a 4.5:1 ratio and for large UI elements 3:1 — the full contrast matrix above shows the exact score for every color-on-color combination in this palette.
What colors go well with the City Island palette?
Beyond its own four colors, #D2B393, #CDCDE5, #131516 extend it naturally: the complementary hue for high-energy accents, an analogous neighbor for calm transitions, and a tinted neutral for surfaces. All three are computed from this palette's hues on the color wheel.
What mood does the City Island palette create?
City Island reads as seaside, village, nautical. Gently saturated cyan-blue drives the personality, grounded by gently saturated cyan-blue — a combination that works best when the light base gets most of the canvas.
Can I use the City Island color palette commercially?
Yes. Individual color values can't be copyrighted, so the City Island palette is free for personal, client and commercial work — websites, branding, apps, print and social content, with no attribution required.
How do I add the City Island palette to Tailwind or CSS?
Use the export panel on this page: CSS variables, a Tailwind config block, SCSS variables, or a Figma copy list are generated from City Island's exact values, including the tint and shade ramps shown above.