Learn HTML and CSS: Justify-content

Justify-content

The trucks stand side by side, but they all huddle against the left. "There's plenty of room on the square," says Nadia. "Spread them out."

Spreading along the main axis

With justify-content on the flex container you choose where the items stand along the main axis, and what happens to the free space:

flex-start (the default) puts them at the start, flex-end at the end and center in the middle. space-between puts the first and the last item against the edges and spreads the rest between them. space-around gives every item the same room around it, and space-evenly makes every gap the same size, at the edges too.

style.css

1.square {2  display: flex;3  justify-content: space-between;4}

foodtruck.example

Try it yourself

Nadia wants a truck at each end of the square, and the others spread evenly between them.

1.square {2  display: flex;3}

1<link rel="stylesheet" href="style.css">2<main>3  <section class="square">4    <div class="truck chips">Chips</div>5    <div class="truck taco">Tacos</div>6    <div class="truck pizza">Pizza</div>7  </section>8</main>

1body {2  margin: 0;3  font-family: system-ui, sans-serif;4  background: #fff8ec;5  color: #2b2118;6}7header {8  padding: 12px 16px;9  background: #264653;10  color: #ffffff;11}12header h1 {13  margin: 0;14  font-size: 1.5rem;15}16nav a {17  padding: 6px 10px;18  border-radius: 999px;19  color: #ffffff;20  text-decoration: none;21}22main {23  padding: 0 16px 24px;24}25.slogan {26  margin: 16px 0 0;27}28.square {29  margin: 16px 0;30  padding: 12px;31  border-radius: 18px;32  background-color: #efe6d4;33  background-image: radial-gradient(rgb(110 90 60 / 0.16) 1px, transparent 1.5px);34  background-size: 14px 14px;35  box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 1px rgb(110 90 60 / 0.14);36}37.square.tall {38  height: 200px;39}40.square.narrow {41  max-width: 250px;42}43/* A striped awning and two wheels: only for the look. */44.truck {45  position: relative;46  margin-bottom: 6px;47  padding: 16px 14px 12px;48  border-radius: 10px 10px 8px 8px;49  background-color: #e76f51;50  background-image: repeating-linear-gradient(90deg, rgb(255 255 255 / 0.85) 0 7px, transparent 7px 14px);51  background-size: 100% 7px;52  background-repeat: no-repeat;53  box-shadow: 0 1px 1px rgb(43 33 24 / 0.12), 0 6px 12px -6px rgb(43 33 24 / 0.35);54  color: #ffffff;55  font-weight: 700;56}57.truck::before,58.truck::after {59  content: "";60  position: absolute;61  bottom: -5px;62  width: 10px;63  height: 10px;64  border-radius: 50%;65  background: #d9cfbb;66  box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 3px #2b2118;67}68.truck::before {69  left: 9px;70}71.truck::after {72  right: 9px;73}74.chips {75  background-color: #e9c46a;76  color: #3a2a00;77}78.taco {79  background-color: #e76f51;80}81.pizza {82  background-color: #2a9d8f;83}84.waffle {85  background-color: #9c6644;86}87.ice-cream {88  padding-top: 30px;89  padding-bottom: 26px;90  background-color: #f4a6c6;91  color: #4a1030;92}93.curry {94  background-color: #f4a261;95  color: #3a1f00;96}97.burger {98  background-color: #6d597a;99}100.soup {101  background-color: #588157;102}103.card {104  padding: 4px 16px;105  border-radius: 12px;106  background: #ffffff;107  box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgb(43 33 24 / 0.08);108}109.card h2 {110  font-size: 1.15rem;111}112footer {113  padding: 12px 16px;114  background: #264653;115  color: #ffffff;116}

foodtruck.example

Every numbered item belongs on the dashed outline with the same number.

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Spreading along the main axis

With justify-content on the flex container you choose where the items stand along the main axis, and what happens to the free space:

style.css

1.square {2  display: flex;3  justify-content: space-between;4}

foodtruck.example

Try it yourself

Nadia wants a truck at each end of the square, and the others spread evenly between them.

1.square {2  display: flex;3}

1<link rel="stylesheet" href="style.css">2<main>3  <section class="square">4    <div class="truck chips">Chips</div>5    <div class="truck taco">Tacos</div>6    <div class="truck pizza">Pizza</div>7  </section>8</main>

1body {2  margin: 0;3  font-family: system-ui, sans-serif;4  background: #fff8ec;5  color: #2b2118;6}7header {8  padding: 12px 16px;9  background: #264653;10  color: #ffffff;11}12header h1 {13  margin: 0;14  font-size: 1.5rem;15}16nav a {17  padding: 6px 10px;18  border-radius: 999px;19  color: #ffffff;20  text-decoration: none;21}22main {23  padding: 0 16px 24px;24}25.slogan {26  margin: 16px 0 0;27}28.square {29  margin: 16px 0;30  padding: 12px;31  border-radius: 18px;32  background-color: #efe6d4;33  background-image: radial-gradient(rgb(110 90 60 / 0.16) 1px, transparent 1.5px);34  background-size: 14px 14px;35  box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 1px rgb(110 90 60 / 0.14);36}37.square.tall {38  height: 200px;39}40.square.narrow {41  max-width: 250px;42}43/* A striped awning and two wheels: only for the look. */44.truck {45  position: relative;46  margin-bottom: 6px;47  padding: 16px 14px 12px;48  border-radius: 10px 10px 8px 8px;49  background-color: #e76f51;50  background-image: repeating-linear-gradient(90deg, rgb(255 255 255 / 0.85) 0 7px, transparent 7px 14px);51  background-size: 100% 7px;52  background-repeat: no-repeat;53  box-shadow: 0 1px 1px rgb(43 33 24 / 0.12), 0 6px 12px -6px rgb(43 33 24 / 0.35);54  color: #ffffff;55  font-weight: 700;56}57.truck::before,58.truck::after {59  content: "";60  position: absolute;61  bottom: -5px;62  width: 10px;63  height: 10px;64  border-radius: 50%;65  background: #d9cfbb;66  box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 3px #2b2118;67}68.truck::before {69  left: 9px;70}71.truck::after {72  right: 9px;73}74.chips {75  background-color: #e9c46a;76  color: #3a2a00;77}78.taco {79  background-color: #e76f51;80}81.pizza {82  background-color: #2a9d8f;83}84.waffle {85  background-color: #9c6644;86}87.ice-cream {88  padding-top: 30px;89  padding-bottom: 26px;90  background-color: #f4a6c6;91  color: #4a1030;92}93.curry {94  background-color: #f4a261;95  color: #3a1f00;96}97.burger {98  background-color: #6d597a;99}100.soup {101  background-color: #588157;102}103.card {104  padding: 4px 16px;105  border-radius: 12px;106  background: #ffffff;107  box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgb(43 33 24 / 0.08);108}109.card h2 {110  font-size: 1.15rem;111}112footer {113  padding: 12px 16px;114  background: #264653;115  color: #ffffff;116}

foodtruck.example

Every numbered item belongs on the dashed outline with the same number.