McDonald’s famous arches are traditionally called the Golden Arches.
The name refers to the bright yellow-gold color used for the arches on many restaurants, signs, advertisements, and packages. Their strong color contrast helped motorists identify McDonald’s locations from a distance, especially when the arches were part of the building itself.
“Golden Arches” describes both the physical architectural elements and the company’s stylized logo. The logo’s shape is usually read as an “M,” but its historical name comes from the two curved arches that appeared on early restaurant designs.
McDonald’s has sometimes displayed the mark in different color combinations or simplified settings. Those variations do not change the established identity of the symbol. The phrase remains one of the best-known examples of a brand nickname becoming nearly as recognizable as the company name.