Yellow is the color most strongly associated with McDonald’s Golden Arches.
The arches were designed as bright yellow architectural features on McDonald’s restaurants, where their high visibility helped attract motorists. The color also made the symbol easy to recognize against the exterior walls and roadside surroundings of the restaurants.
The phrase “Golden Arches” refers both to the physical arches and to the company’s stylized logo. Although McDonald’s branding commonly combines yellow with red, yellow is the defining color of the arches themselves.
Green has appeared prominently in some newer restaurant designs and packaging, but it is not the traditional color of the Golden Arches. Red is an important supporting color in McDonald’s signs and advertising, yet calling the arches red would describe the brand palette incorrectly.