San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge is painted International Orange.
The color was selected partly because the steel arrived coated in a reddish-orange protective primer. Consulting architect Irving Morrow argued that the warm shade suited the bridge’s setting and made the structure more visible in the frequent fog. The bridge authority adopted International Orange as the permanent finish.
The color is not simply ordinary orange or red. It is a specific paint color associated with the bridge and is periodically renewed as part of its maintenance program. The coating helps protect the steel from corrosion as well as giving the bridge its famous appearance.
The Golden Gate Bridge opened in 1937 and crosses the Golden Gate strait between San Francisco and Marin County. Its color is one of the features most often recognized in photographs, although the bridge’s official name refers to the strait rather than its paint.