If you have ever wondered how many McDonald's are there in the US, you are not alone. The Golden Arches are such an iconic part of American culture that the exact count feels like a piece of national trivia. As of 2026, there are approximately 13,851 McDonald's restaurants operating across the United States, making it the largest fast-food chain by sales in America and one of the most visible brands on the planet.
That number only tells part of the story. In this guide, we break down how many McDonald's restaurants are in the United States by state, identify the cities with the most locations, explore which territories surprisingly do not have a McDonald's, and compare McDonald's reach against its competitors. Whether you are a market researcher, real estate analyst, competitive intelligence professional, or simply curious, this data-rich guide has what you need.
Download complete McDonald's location data including addresses, coordinates, phone numbers, and operating hours for every US restaurant.
Get McDonald's Dataset →As of 2026, there are approximately 13,851 McDonald's restaurants operating in the United States across 58 states and territories. That is roughly 31% of all McDonald's locations worldwide, making the US by far the largest market for the Golden Arches. The exact figure shifts month to month as restaurants open and close.
The number of McDonald's in America has stayed relatively stable in recent years, with the company focusing more on renovations and digital transformation than on aggressive new openings in its home market. McDonald's actually saw a net decrease in US locations between 2015 and 2020, its first such decline since 1970. It has since returned to modest growth, with expansion targeting high-growth areas.
| Metric | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Total US Locations | ~13,851 | Approximate, 2026 |
| States with McDonald's | 50 + DC | All 50 states covered |
| Territories with McDonald's | 5 | Puerto Rico, Guam, CNMI, and others |
| Territories without | 2 | US Virgin Islands, American Samoa |
| Cities with locations | 5,000+ | Urban and rural coverage |
| Franchise percentage | ~95% | Only about 5% company-owned |
| Average revenue per location | ~$3.96 million | US average unit volume |
| Daily customers served | 25 million+ | US estimate |
💡 Did you know? McDonald's drive-throughs account for roughly 70% of all US sales. That drive-through dominance is a key factor in the company's site-selection strategy, favoring locations with easy vehicle access.
When people ask how many McDonalds are in the USA, the answer varies a lot by state. Texas and California are consistently neck-and-neck at the top, each with roughly 1,230 to 1,270 locations, with different data sources placing one or the other first. Florida sits a clear third, while Vermont has the fewest at around two dozen. The counts below are approximate and compiled from location-data aggregators, so exact figures vary by source and month.
| Rank | State | Locations | % of Total | Per 100K People |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | ~1,267 | 9.1% | 4.3 |
| 2 | California | ~1,232 | 8.9% | 3.1 |
| 3 | Florida | ~885 | 6.4% | 4.2 |
| 4 | Illinois | 656 | 4.7% | 5.2 |
| 5 | Ohio | 615 | 4.5% | 5.3 |
| 6 | New York | 573 | 4.1% | 2.9 |
| 7 | Michigan | 524 | 3.8% | 5.2 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | 473 | 3.4% | 3.7 |
| 9 | North Carolina | 469 | 3.4% | 4.5 |
| 10 | Georgia | 445 | 3.2% | 4.2 |
| 11 | Indiana | 378 | 2.7% | 5.6 |
| 12 | Tennessee | 359 | 2.6% | 5.2 |
| 13 | Missouri | 340 | 2.5% | 5.5 |
| 14 | Virginia | 338 | 2.4% | 4.0 |
| 15 | Arizona | 312 | 2.3% | 4.3 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | 298 | 2.2% | 5.1 |
| 17 | Washington | 285 | 2.1% | 3.7 |
| 18 | Minnesota | 278 | 2.0% | 4.9 |
| 19 | Colorado | 265 | 1.9% | 4.6 |
| 20 | Alabama | 261 | 1.9% | 5.2 |
| State | Locations | Population | Per 100K People |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vermont | 24 | 647,000 | 3.7 |
| Wyoming | 38 | 577,000 | 6.6 |
| Alaska | 39 | 733,000 | 5.3 |
| Delaware | 42 | 1,018,000 | 4.1 |
| Rhode Island | 45 | 1,096,000 | 4.1 |
Get the full breakdown of US McDonald's locations with addresses, coordinates, and more.
Request Dataset →Looking at where McDonald's in America concentrate at the city level reveals interesting patterns about American dining culture and urban development:
| Rank | City | State | Locations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston | Texas | ~126 |
| 2 | Chicago | Illinois | ~105 |
| 3 | San Antonio | Texas | ~82 |
| 4 | Las Vegas | Nevada | 73 |
| 5 | Los Angeles | California | 63 |
| 6 | Phoenix | Arizona | 60 |
| 7 | Dallas | Texas | 56 |
| 8 | Miami | Florida | 56 |
| 9 | Orlando | Florida | 54 |
| 10 | Indianapolis | Indiana | 51 |
🏙️ Interesting insight: Houston, not New York City or Los Angeles, has the most McDonald's of any US city. That reflects Houston's sprawling, car-centric design, which suits McDonald's drive-through-focused model. Chicago ranks second partly because it serves as McDonald's corporate headquarters.
The McDonald's number stores figure varies significantly by region, reflecting population density, driving culture, and local franchise economics:
Texas, Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina lead McDonald's presence. The South holds the largest concentration of locations, driven by car culture, suburban sprawl, and franchise-friendly business environments. Texas alone houses roughly 9% of all US McDonald's.
As McDonald's home region (the company is headquartered in Chicago), the Midwest keeps a dense, mature network. Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana have high per-capita concentration despite smaller populations.
California leads the West with well over 1,200 locations, but higher real estate costs limit oversaturation. Arizona, Washington, and Colorado show strong presence near highways and suburban centers.
Despite high population density, the Northeast has comparatively fewer McDonald's due to expensive real estate, limited drive-through opportunities, and stronger local competition. New York has fewer locations than Ohio despite a much larger population.
Here is a common question: what state does not have a McDonald's? The answer may surprise you: every single US state has at least one McDonald's location. Even Vermont, with around two dozen, and Wyoming, with fewer than 40, have Golden Arches representation.
There are, however, two US territories without any McDonald's restaurants:
Population around 87,000.
Population around 49,000.
| Territory | Locations | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Puerto Rico | ~108 | 3.2 million |
| Guam | ~7 | 170,000 |
| Northern Mariana Islands | ~3 | 52,000 |
The absence of McDonald's in the US Virgin Islands and American Samoa comes down mainly to:
How does McDonald's stack up against other major fast-food chains by US locations? Here is how McDonald's number stores compares to competitors, using approximate 2025 to 2026 figures:
| Chain | US Locations | vs McDonald's | Top State |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subway | ~20,100 | More | California |
| Starbucks | ~16,900 | More | California |
| McDonald's | ~13,851 | Baseline | Texas / California |
| Taco Bell | ~8,000 | Fewer | California |
| Burger King | ~6,600 | Fewer | Texas |
| Wendy's | ~5,900 | Fewer | Florida |
| Chick-fil-A | ~3,100 | Fewer | Texas |
Get datasets for McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Subway, and more. Compare locations, analyze market coverage, and identify opportunities.
Request Competitor Analysis →Beyond the US, how many McDonald's worldwide are there? McDonald's operates more than 43,000 restaurants in over 100 countries as of 2025, making it one of the largest restaurant chains globally by store count (now second to China's Mixue, which has surpassed 45,000 locations).
| Country / Region | Locations | Share of Global Total |
|---|---|---|
| United States | ~13,851 | ~31% |
| China | 7,000+ | ~16% |
| Japan | ~2,950 | ~7% |
| France | ~1,540 | ~4% |
| Canada | ~1,490 | ~3% |
| United Kingdom | ~1,450 | ~3% |
| Germany | ~1,400 | ~3% |
| Brazil | ~1,170 | ~3% |
| Australia | ~1,020 | ~2% |
| Rest of world | ~12,000+ | ~28% |
🌍 Expansion plans: McDonald's has announced plans to reach 50,000 global locations by 2027. Much of that growth is aimed at China, where thousands of new stores are planned, alongside continued development in the US.
Whether you need the full list of McDonald's locations for market research, competitive analysis, real estate planning, or investment decisions, our McDonald data scraping service delivers comprehensive, accurate, and up-to-date datasets.
We deliver McDonald's location data in your preferred format:
As of 2026, there are approximately 13,851 McDonald's restaurants in the United States, which is roughly 31% of all McDonald's locations worldwide. The exact count shifts month to month as restaurants open and close.
Texas and California are neck-and-neck for the top spot, each with roughly 1,230 to 1,270 locations, with different data sources placing one or the other first. Florida ranks a clear third with around 885. Together, these three states account for about 24% of all US McDonald's.
Every US state has at least one McDonald's location. However, two US territories, the US Virgin Islands and American Samoa, do not have any McDonald's restaurants, mainly due to small populations and supply chain challenges.
Houston, Texas has the most McDonald's of any US city, with around 126 locations. Chicago, Illinois (McDonald's corporate headquarters) ranks second with about 105, and San Antonio, Texas is third with roughly 82.
McDonald's operates more than 43,000 restaurants in over 100 countries worldwide. The company has announced plans to reach 50,000 locations globally by 2027, with significant expansion planned in China.
Yes. McDonald's has roughly 13,851 US restaurants compared to Burger King's approximately 6,600, more than twice as many locations.
About 95% of McDonald's US restaurants are franchised, with only around 5% company-owned. This franchise-heavy model lets McDonald's expand with lower capital requirements while earning revenue from franchise fees, royalties, and real estate.
You can obtain the complete list of US McDonald's locations through our McDonald data scraping service. We provide comprehensive datasets including addresses, coordinates, phone numbers, operating hours, and more, in formats such as CSV, JSON, and API.
The average US McDonald's restaurant generates roughly $3.96 million in annual sales (average unit volume). That is significantly higher than competitors like Wendy's (around $2.1M) and Burger King (around $1.6M).
Whether you are researching how many McDonald's restaurants are in the United States, analyzing market coverage, or building competitive intelligence, accurate location data is essential. Our McDonald data scraping service provides a comprehensive, up-to-date dataset.
With around 13,851 locations across 58 states and territories, McDonald's US presence is a large dataset with applications in real estate, investment research, market analysis, and competitive intelligence. Let us help you put it to work.
Complete US location data with custom formats available.
Download McDonald's Data →