Almanac note · History and culture
Downey has the oldest Red and White McDonald's still operating
Downey has a roadside-history stop hiding in plain sight at Lakewood Boulevard and Florence Avenue. The small McDonald’s there is not shaped like most modern locations. It keeps the early Red and White look, with the old Golden Arches idea built into the building.
The Red and White design dates to 1953, and Downey has the oldest one still operating. Preservation people care because the building shows fast food when the architecture was meant to show speed, order, and car-era optimism.
The location survived partly because it came through the McDonald brothers’ older franchise path, outside the later corporate remodel pattern. A global brand still has a local-looking landmark in Downey because of that older path.
If you go, treat it as a working restaurant and a small roadside history stop. The fun is in noticing how different the building feels from the newer arches.
Where to see it
McDonald's at 10207 Lakewood Boulevard in Downey, near Florence Avenue.
Official sources
Official source trail
Reviewed July 2, 2026
California Porch explains the path. The official source is still the place to confirm the current rule, fee, form, map, deadline, or office decision.
Use the official page before you spend money, file paperwork, rely on a deadline, or change a property.
Connected places
Where it fits on the map
Open a place page for the county layer, nearby places, and other California entries tied to that local page.
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