CSS background-color

<!doctype html>
<title>Example</title>
<style>
div {
  width: 180px;
  padding: 30px;
  font-family: sans-serif;
  background-color: gold;
}
</style>
<div>
<p>This has a background-color of gold</p>
</div>

The CSS background-color property is for setting the background color of an element.

The background-color property accepts a color value, which includes a large number of methods for specifying a color.

Note that background colors are drawn behind any background images that are applied to the element.

Syntax

Possible Values

color: The color data type allows for many different ways of specifying a color. For example, you can use the hex value, rgba() functional notation, a named color, a keyword such as transparent, or any of the other choices available.

In addition, all CSS properties also accept the following CSS-wide keyword values as the sole component of their property value:

initial: Represents the value specified as the property's initial value.
inherit: Represents the computed value of the property on the element's parent.
unset: This value acts as either inherit or initial, depending on whether the property is inherited or not. In other words, it sets all properties to their parent value if they are inheritable or to their initial value if not inheritable.

General Information

Initial Value: transparent
Applies To: All elements
Inherited?: No
Media: Visual
Animatable: Yes (see example)

Example Code

Check out the CSS color reference.

Official Specifications

CSS Backgrounds and Borders Module Level 3 (W3C Candidate Recommendation 9 September 2014)
CSS Level 2.1 (W3C Recommendation 07 June 2011)
CSS Level 1 (W3C Recommendation 17 Dec 1996)