Which McDonald’s restaurant became the first U.S. location to use a drive-through, in 1975?

The first McDonald’s restaurant to use a drive-through in the United States opened in Sierra Vista, Arizona, in 1975.

The location was near Fort Huachuca, a major U.S. Army installation. Military regulations limited soldiers from wearing uniforms in public when off duty, so the restaurant created a service window that allowed customers to order and receive food without entering the building.

The drive-through became an important part of McDonald’s customer experience and later influenced restaurant layouts, signage, menu boards, and advertising. It is now so closely associated with the chain that many people assume it existed from the beginning, but the original McDonald’s model relied on counter service and, earlier, carhops.

The site is sometimes confused with historic early restaurants such as Downey, California, or Des Plaines, Illinois. Those locations are important for preservation and company history, but Sierra Vista is the location tied to the first U.S. McDonald’s drive-through.