The arches in McDonald's famous Golden Arches symbol are yellow.
The color helped the restaurant buildings stand out beside roads and highways, where motorists needed to recognize them quickly. The arches were originally physical architectural elements, but they became closely associated with the McDonald's name as the company expanded.
Although the symbol is commonly called the “Golden Arches,” its standard visual treatment is a bright yellow color rather than metallic gold. The wording “golden” refers to the arches’ appearance and branding identity, not necessarily to the use of gold-colored metal.
The symbol developed from restaurant architecture into a corporate logo. In the 1960s, the two arches were combined into the familiar stylized form resembling the letter M. McDonald's still uses the arches as a primary visual identifier, sometimes with the company name and sometimes by themselves.