MYNORTHWEST NEWS

One WA city has the fifth-worst McDonald’s ice cream machine reliability in the U.S.

Jul 20, 2026, 4:00 PM

mcdonald's ice cream...

A sign sits in front of a McDonald's restaurant on May 13, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo: Scott Olson, Getty Images)

(Photo: Scott Olson, Getty Images)

Many people across the state celebrated National Ice Cream Day on Sunday by visiting their local McDonald’s for an ice cream. For those in Puyallup, this is never a reliable option.

According to Action Network, an insights & analytics company for sports betting and prediction markets, Puyallup has the fifth-worst odds of any U.S. city for McDonald’s to have a working ice cream machine. According to the survey, Puyallup has a 37.6% chance of an ice cream machine not working across its multiple McDonald’s locations.

In comparison, the worst performing city in the U.S. for ice cream reliability at McDonald’s is Cleveland, Tennessee (46.9% fail rate).

Puyallup has five McDonald’s within the city, located at 17301 Meridian E., 304 2nd St. N.E., 4603 S. Meridian, 731 Shaw Rd., and 804 S. Hill Park Dr.

“In honor of National Ice Cream Day, we analyzed nearly six years of reported machine status across 492 cities and all 50 states to find out how McLucky each location is,” the study read. “This makes [Puyallup] the least reliable location in Washington.”

Another WA city boasts second-best ice cream machine rate in the country

In contrast, Yakima is the safest bet for a working ice cream machine within Washington, with a reported downtime rate of just 2.8% — the second-most reliable city in America.

“Nationally, the machine is down about 10.4% of the time,” the study claimed.

For Seattle, it sits right at the national average rate at 10.6%. Tacoma is closer to Puyallup’s number at 25.5%.

“Washington ranks 30th of 51 states overall, with the machine down 20.0% of the time statewide,” the study read.

To view an interactive map tracking every city’s McDonald’s ice cream machine reliability across all 50 states, click here.

Follow Frank Sumrall on X. Send news tips here.

MyNorthwest News

SR 20...

KIRO 7 News Staff

Westbound SR 20 closed for a semi-truck off the road

According to Trooper Kelsey Harding, shortly before 6:30 p.m. Monday, a semi-truck went off the road on SR 20 just east of SR 9.

5 hours ago

vandalism graham home...

James Lynch

23 juveniles trash veteran’s home near Graham, causing $50K in damage 2 weeks before closing

Deputies are investigating a vandalism case after 23 juveniles broke into and trashed a veteran’s home in the Graham-Kapowsin area.

6 hours ago

pse flex program...

Frank Lenzi

PSE Flex program faces first real test as heat hits Puget Sound

Puget Sound Energy (PSE) is about to put its new Flex program to the test for the first time, and Tuesday's heat is the trigger.

7 hours ago

jet ski drug smuggling wa...

Jason Sutich

‘Mad man desperate for money’: Man gets 15 years in jet ski drug-smuggling scheme near WA-Canada border

A 69-year-old man was sentenced to 15 years in prison for three federal felonies connected to his 2021 scheme to smuggle drugs across the Strait via watercraft.

8 hours ago

mcdonald's ice cream...

Frank Sumrall

One WA city has the fifth-worst McDonald’s ice cream machine reliability in the U.S.

According to the survey, Puyallup has a 37.6% chance of a McDonald's ice cream machine not working — the fifth-worst odds of any city in the U.S.

8 hours ago

Jimothy seattle raccoon proclamation...

Frank Lenzi

Jimothy the Raccoon to be honored with official Seattle City Proclamation in Ballard

Jimothy the Raccoon — Seattle's "newest local icon" — will soon be honored with an official City Proclamation in Ballard.

9 hours ago

One WA city has the fifth-worst McDonald’s ice cream machine reliability in the U.S.