Official and Traditional Colors of Florida
Florida state colors are Orange, Red, and White, based on the 1900 state flag. Find HEX, RGB, CMYK, and Pantone codes plus the history and meaning.
Official color palette of Florida
State color reference
- Official colors
- Orange, Red, and White
- Official since
- De facto (based on 1900 state flag and citrus industry association)
- Primary use
- State Flag, state tourism branding, citrus industry identity, University of Florida and Florida State University color traditions
- Known for
- Orange representing Florida's $9 billion citrus industry and subtropical sunshine; red and white derived from the cross of Burgundy on the state flag, referencing Florida's Spanish colonial heritage under the rule of the Spanish Empire
Color Specifications
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Orange
Represents Florida's citrus industry — the state produces approximately 70 percent of all US-grown oranges — as well as the warm subtropical sunlight that defines Florida's geography and climate; orange was designated the official state fruit in 2005, reinforcing the color's central role in Florida's identity; the shade used corresponds closely to the University of Florida's official orange, one of the most recognized color applications in the state
Red
Derived from the cross of Burgundy — the red diagonal saltire on the Florida state flag — referencing Florida's extended period under Spanish colonial rule from 1513 to 1763 and again from 1783 to 1821; the cross of Burgundy was the battle flag of the Spanish Empire and flew over Florida for a combined total of nearly 288 years, longer than the United States flag has flown over the state
White
Forms the background field of the Florida state flag and represents purity, the white sand beaches that stretch across 1,350 miles of Florida coastline, and the bright light of the subtropical sky; white also appears in the state seal centered on the flag, framing the scene of a Seminole woman scattering flowers, a steamboat, a sabal palm, and a rising sun
WCAG Contrast Checker
Accessibility compliance for Orange and Red
Red
on Orange background
Orange
on Red background
WCAG 2.1 Standards:
- AA Normal Text: 4.5:1 minimum
- AA Large Text: 3:1 minimum
- AAA Normal Text: 7:1 minimum
- AAA Large Text: 4.5:1 minimum
Developer Export
Copy-paste ready code snippets
CSS Variables
/* CSS Variables for Florida */
:root {
--florida-orange: #FA4616;
--florida-red: #C01933;
--florida-white: #FFFFFF;
}Tailwind CSS Config
// tailwind.config.js
module.exports = {
theme: {
extend: {
colors: {
'florida': {
'orange': '#FA4616',
'red': '#C01933',
'white': '#FFFFFF',
}
}
}
}
}SCSS Variables
// SCSS Variables for Florida
$florida-orange: #FA4616;
$florida-red: #C01933;
$florida-white: #FFFFFF;
Years Spain governed Florida under the red Cross of Burgundy — longer than the United States has controlled the state — making the red and white of the Spanish battle flag the most historically persistent colors in Florida's entire documented history
Official Designation and History
Florida does not have officially legislated state colors designated by a separate statute. The three colors — orange, red, and white — have emerged as the state's de facto color identity through distinct but complementary historical processes: red and white through the design of the Florida state flag, and orange through the state's globally dominant citrus industry and its warm subtropical environment. Together, these three colors form a coherent and broadly recognized color palette that represents Florida across government, commerce, tourism, and sports, reinforcing the Sunshine State nickname.
The Florida state flag, governed by Article II, Section 1 of the Florida Constitution and Florida Statutes § 15.012, features a red diagonal cross of Burgundy on a white field with the state seal at center. The flag's design was adopted in its current form in 1900 following a referendum, with the red cross added to the existing plain white flag bearing the state seal. This addition of the red cross was specifically intended to prevent the flag from resembling a flag of surrender when there was no wind — a practical concern that simultaneously embedded a reference to Florida's Spanish colonial heritage into the state's most prominent official symbol and to wording from the state motto.
The Cross of Burgundy and Spanish Florida
The red diagonal cross on the Florida state flag is a direct reference to the Cross of Burgundy, the personal emblem of the House of Habsburg that served as the battle flag of the Spanish Empire from the 16th through 19th centuries. Spain governed Florida under this flag for two distinct periods: from Juan Ponce de León's arrival in 1513 through 1763, when Florida was ceded to Britain in exchange for Havana, and again from 1783 to 1821, when Florida was transferred to the United States under the Adams-Onís Treaty. The total span of Spanish rule — approximately 288 years — exceeds the period of American governance, making the Spanish colonial heritage encoded in the flag's red cross a historically dominant influence on Florida's identity.
Orange and the Florida Citrus Industry
Orange's association with Florida dates to the Spanish colonial period, when Spanish missionaries and settlers introduced sweet orange trees to the peninsula in the 16th century. By the late 19th century, Florida had become the center of American citrus production, and orange groves defined the landscape of central Florida from Orlando to Lakeland. The Florida citrus industry reached its peak economic dominance in the mid-20th century, and the orange — designated the official state fruit in 2005 — became the single most widely recognized symbol of Florida in national and international perception. The state's official beverage, orange juice, was designated by the Florida Legislature in 1967, further cementing orange as an unofficial but pervasive state color tied to the orange blossom symbol.
Key milestones
Juan Ponce de León arrives in Florida on April 2, claiming the territory for Spain under the red Cross of Burgundy battle flag; Spanish colonial rule begins, introducing orange cultivation to the peninsula
Florida transferred to the United States under the Adams-Onís Treaty, ending 288 combined years of Spanish rule under the red and white Cross of Burgundy
Florida admitted to the Union on March 3 as the 27th state; the original state flag features the state seal on a plain white field
Florida voters approve the addition of a red diagonal cross to the state flag in a statewide referendum, embedding the Cross of Burgundy reference and establishing red and white as the flag's defining colors
Florida Legislature designates orange juice as the official state beverage, cementing orange as an officially recognized symbol of Florida's identity
Orange designated the official state fruit of Florida, completing the formal recognition of orange as a core element of the state's official symbol system
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What the Colors Represent
Florida's orange, red, and white palette reflects the state's unusual dual identity as both a product of Spanish colonial history and a modern American symbol of sunshine, warmth, and natural abundance. No other state's traditional color identity encompasses such a wide historical arc — from the Spanish Empire's 16th-century battle flag encoded in red and white, to the 20th-century citrus and tourism boom encoded in orange. Together, these three colors form a palette that is simultaneously historically grounded and immediately evocative of the sensory experience of Florida: the orange warmth of a Gulf Coast sunset, the red flash of bougainvillea in a Miami garden, and the white glare of sunlight on a Gulf beach.
Orange in Florida History
Orange is Florida's most globally recognized color symbol. The state's nickname 'The Sunshine State,' adopted officially in 1970, reinforces orange as a natural color descriptor for Florida's climate and character. Florida produces the vast majority of orange juice consumed in the United States, and 'Florida Orange' has become a recognized color and brand identity in its own right. The University of Florida's official color — adopted in 1906 as orange and blue — further embedded orange into Florida's institutional identity, making it visible on athletic uniforms, merchandise, and campus branding throughout the state's most populated regions. The specific orange used in Florida contexts, PMS 172, is a warm, red-leaning orange that evokes ripe citrus fruit and tropical sunlight; related entries are grouped in U.S. state colors.
Red and White in Florida History
Red and white derive their Florida significance from the state flag's cross of Burgundy design, but these colors also resonate through Florida's broader history. The red of the flag's diagonal cross is the same heraldic red used in the Spanish royal standard, and its presence on the Florida flag is one of the few explicit acknowledgments in American state symbolism of Spanish colonial heritage. White, forming the flag's entire background field, connects to Florida's most famous natural asset — its beaches. Florida's white quartz sand beaches, particularly those of the Panhandle region around Destin and Panama City Beach, are consistently ranked among the whitest and finest-grained beaches in the world, and white carries a geographic resonance in Florida that parallels the blue-sky association in other states across border regions listed in States Neighboring States.
Usage in Flags, Seals, and Insignias
Red and white appear prominently on the Florida state flag, governed by Florida Statutes § 15.012, which flies at the Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee and all state government buildings. The state seal centered on the flag incorporates additional colors including gold, green, and blue through its depiction of a Seminole woman, a sabal palm tree, a steamboat on the water, and a rising sun — but the flag's dominant visual impression is the red cross on white, firmly establishing those two colors as the state's official visual foundation. Orange appears throughout Florida's state branding and tourism identity: the Florida Department of Citrus uses orange extensively in its marketing, the Visit Florida tourism brand incorporates orange prominently, and Florida state highway welcome signs use the iconic orange-on-green color scheme. The University of Florida (orange and blue) and Florida State University (garnet and gold) together cover much of the state's sports and institutional color landscape, with orange appearing in both traditions in different forms.
Timeline
Juan Ponce de León arrives in Florida on April 2, claiming the territory for Spain under the red Cross of Burgundy battle flag; Spanish colonial rule begins, introducing orange cultivation to the peninsula
Juan Ponce de León arrives in Florida on April 2, claiming the territory for Spain under the red Cross of Burgundy battle flag; Spanish colonial rule begins, introducing orange cultivation to the peninsula
Florida transferred to the United States under the Adams-Onís Treaty, ending 288 combined years of Spanish rule under the red and white Cross of Burgundy
Florida admitted to the Union on March 3 as the 27th state; the original state flag features the state seal on a plain white field
Florida admitted to the Union on March 3 as the 27th state; the original state flag features the state seal on a plain white field
Florida voters approve the addition of a red diagonal cross to the state flag in a statewide referendum, embedding the Cross of Burgundy reference and establishing red and white as the flag's defining colors
Florida Legislature designates orange juice as the official state beverage, cementing orange as an officially recognized symbol of Florida's identity
Florida Legislature designates orange juice as the official state beverage, cementing orange as an officially recognized symbol of Florida's identity
Orange designated the official state fruit of Florida, completing the formal recognition of orange as a core element of the state's official symbol system
"Florida's color identity is uniquely layered — the red and white of the state flag reach back five centuries to the Spanish Empire, while orange speaks to the modern Florida of sunshine, citrus, and tourism that the world recognizes today. No other state's colors span such a breadth of history in a single palette."
Quick Answers
What are the official colors of Florida?
What is the HEX code for Florida Orange?
What is the HEX code for Florida Red?
What is the cross of Burgundy on the Florida flag?
Why is orange associated with Florida?
Does Florida have officially legislated state colors?
Sources
- Florida Statutes § 15.012 - State Flag
- Florida Division of State Library and Archives - State Symbols
- Florida Department of Citrus - Industry Overview
- Florida Division of Historical Resources - Spanish Colonial Period
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