What was McDonald's first international market?

Canada was McDonald's first international market.

McDonald's entered Canada in 1967 by opening a restaurant in Richmond, British Columbia. This move took the company's restaurant system and visual branding beyond the United States for the first time.

The Canadian expansion demonstrated how the Golden Arches could work as a recognizable sign across national borders. McDonald's retained its core identity while allowing local operations to respond to Canadian customers and business conditions.

The first Canadian restaurant is sometimes confused with the company's first location outside North America. Canada was the first foreign market overall. McDonald's later entered countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, and Japan as its international network grew.