How to Align a Logo Image to the Center of a Navigation Bar Using HTML and CSS

Centering a logo in a navigation bar is a popular design choice in modern web layouts—especially for minimalist and mobile-friendly websites. Whether you’re building a personal portfolio or a company homepage, having your logo centered can create a strong visual focus.

In this blog post, we’ll show you how to align a logo image to the center of a navigation bar using clean HTML and CSS. We’ll also cover common techniques and layout considerations for both desktop and mobile views.

🎯 Goal

We want a navigation bar where:

• The logo is perfectly centered.
• Navigation links are on either side or below, depending on layout.
• The layout is responsive and flexible.

✅ Method 1: Using Flexbox

📄 HTML Structure

<nav class="navbar">
  <ul class="nav-links left">
    <li><a href="#">Home</a></li>
    <li><a href="#">About</a></li>
  </ul>

  <div class="logo">
    <img src="logo.png" alt="Logo">
  </div>

  <ul class="nav-links right">
    <li><a href="#">Services</a></li>
    <li><a href="#">Contact</a></li>
  </ul>
</nav>

🎨 CSS Styling

.navbar {
  display: flex;
  align-items: center;
  justify-content: space-between;
  padding: 10px 20px;
  position: relative;
}

.nav-links {
  display: flex;
  list-style: none;
  gap: 20px;
}

.logo {
  position: absolute;
  left: 50%;
  transform: translateX(-50%);
}

.logo img {
  height: 50px;
}

🔍 Explanation:

• display: flex on .navbar allows easy layout of elements.
• .logo is absolutely positioned at the horizontal center using left: 50% and transform: translateX(-50%).
• This ensures the logo is centered regardless of the left/right content width.

✅ Method 2: Center Logo with Flex Grow

If you want a simpler nav bar with just a centered logo, here’s how:

HTML

<nav class="center-nav">
  <div class="spacer"></div>
  <div class="logo">
    <img src="logo.png" alt="Logo">
  </div>
  <div class="spacer"></div>
</nav>

CSS

.center-nav {
  display: flex;
  justify-content: center;
  align-items: center;
  height: 80px;
  background-color: #f8f8f8;
}

.spacer {
  flex: 1;
}

.logo img {
  height: 50px;
}

This layout:

• Uses two empty div.spacer elements to push the logo to the center.
• Is helpful when no navigation links are needed, or they are placed elsewhere.

📱 Responsive Tips

• Use media queries to adjust padding or switch layout for smaller screens.
• Consider stacking the logo above links in mobile view for better usability.
• Use Tailwind CSS or Bootstrap utilities for quicker implementation if working in a framework.

📝 Conclusion

Centering a logo in your navigation bar is simple with the right HTML structure and CSS. Whether you choose absolute positioning or flexbox spacing, you can create a clean, balanced look across all screen sizes.

A centered logo can make your brand stand out and provide a symmetrical, modern feel to your layout—just make sure it’s balanced with other elements like nav links or buttons.