The arches in McDonald’s iconic Golden Arches name are yellow.
The bright yellow color helps the symbol stand out on roadside signs, restaurant exteriors, packaging, and advertising. Combined with the simple M-shaped form, it gives McDonald’s a visual identity that can be recognized quickly even when little text is visible.
The word “Golden” refers to the arches’ yellow-gold appearance rather than to gold metal. The original arches were architectural elements on restaurant buildings, and their color helped make those structures visible to passing motorists.
McDonald’s branding is also strongly associated with red, so the two colors are sometimes confused in questions about the logo. Red has been an important background and supporting color, but the arches themselves are conventionally identified as golden or yellow.