The arches in McDonald's “Golden Arches” branding are yellow.
The bright yellow color was used on the restaurant's large architectural arches, making them highly visible from roads and helping customers identify locations from a distance. The phrase “Golden Arches” refers to the arches' appearance and their later role as a brand symbol, even though the standard color is commonly described as yellow.
McDonald's pairs the yellow arches most famously with red in its restaurant signs and packaging. The contrast became a powerful part of the chain's visual identity and helped the logo remain recognizable at different sizes.
“Gold” can sound like the obvious answer because of the name, but the canonical color description is yellow. The distinction matters in branding history: the arches were designed as vivid yellow architectural elements, not metallic gold structures.