McFarthest
It lies between the two tiny hamlets of Meadow and Glad Valley in South Dakota, from where it is at least two hours drive to the nearest Golden Arches.
The calculation was done by artist and technologist Stephen Von Worley, who mapped the 13,000 McDonald’s in the lower 48 states. Alaska and Hawaii were excluded.
From the “McFarthest Spot” the distance to the nearest McDonald’s is 107 miles as the crow flies and 145 miles by car.
The results mean that a hungry motorist is always within a full tank of petrol of a McDonald’s restaurant anywhere in the continental United States.
This reminds me of driving through Queensland once. There were huge distances between towns, and on one road we saw a sign that said 180 kms to the next McDonalds. Then later on 127 kms to the next McDonalds. Then 82 kms to the next McDonalds. Then 49 kms to the next McDonalds. And 14 kms to the next McDonalds and finally 2 kms to the next McDonalds.
Let me tell you it was the most brilliant marketing. By around the 49 km away mark we were all fixated on getting to a McDonalds and by the time you are 2 kms away, you can’t imagine anything else otehr than going to McDonalds.
The other clever signs I recall from that trip, was one is a small town. It said:
We have three cemeteries and no hospital. Please slow down.
Now that was effective!