This study proposes a detection method for the color structured light stripe based on hierarchical clustering. First, the proposed method converts a color image to a gray image and computes the initial value of central point of the structured light stripe along each row of the image based on hierarchical clustering. Second, the sub-pixel location of central point of the structured light stripe is conducted based on the neighborhood grayscale information, which is indexed on the basis of color distance and Euclidean distance. Finally, the color structured light stripe is detected with image progressive scanning from top to bottom. The proposed method has been validated by both simulations and experiments. The results indicate that the detection precision of the stripe center is 0.47 pixel. The proposed method can still maintain the consistency and integrity of the stripe when the stripe has a tiny fracture. The method can be used in the field of structured light three-dimensional reconstruction and has significant relevance in theoretical research and engineering applications.