The arches in McDonald's classic Golden Arches logo are yellow.
The color is the source of the familiar “Golden Arches” name, even though the logo is normally rendered as a bright yellow symbol rather than as metallic gold. Its high visibility makes the arches easy to recognize on restaurant signs, roadside displays, packaging, and advertising.
McDonald's commonly presents the yellow arches against a red background, creating the red-and-yellow combination strongly associated with the chain. That color pairing can lead to a common mix-up: red is an important supporting brand color, but it is not the color of the arches themselves.
The arches originated as architectural elements on McDonald's early restaurant buildings before becoming a standalone corporate mark. Their simplified form eventually functioned as an international visual shorthand for the company, even when the full word “McDonald’s” was not shown.