San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA MSA

San Francisco Bay Area ER Wait Times

Note: ER wait times can change quickly. Sometimes an ER may not appear busy to those waiting in the lobby, but there can be a separate entrance for patients who arrive by ambulance.

San Francisco Bay Area ER Map

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Historical Average ER Wait Time

This data comes from CMS emergency department performance data for Jan 1, 2024 to Jun 30, 2025. ERcost averages the historical benchmark across ER locations in this metro area.

3 hr 10 min

CMS median ED time, 26 of 36 ER locations

Pediatric ERs

Pediatric ERs in this metro area:Cpmc Van Ness Campus Pediatric Emergency DepartmentUcsf Benioff Children's Hospital OaklandUcsf Benioff Children's Hospital San Francisco Emergency Department

Showing 1-5 of 36 ER locations

Showing 1-10 of 36 ER locations

San Mateo Medical CenterGovernment - Local

Reported

Wait Time

30 min

Last Updated

Jun 21, 2026, 5:23 AM PDT

Overall rating: Not available
Source: Patient-reported wait time
Source info: Patient-reported arrival-to-first-seen time. Not verified by a hospital and not a measure of total ER visit time.
Historical Benchmark: Historical emergency department benchmark measures
ER volume: high
Median time spent in ER i Median time patients spent in the emergency department before leaving.: 2 hr 57 min
Left before being seen i Percentage of patients who left the ER before being seen.: 3%

View ER Costs

Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hosp & Trauma CtrGovernment - Local

Reported

Wait Time

30 min

Last Updated

Jun 4, 2026, 11:31 PM PDT

Overall rating: 1 star
Source: Patient-reported wait time
Source info: Patient-reported arrival-to-first-seen time. Not verified by a hospital and not a measure of total ER visit time.
Historical Benchmark: Historical emergency department benchmark measures
ER volume: very high
Median time spent in ER i Median time patients spent in the emergency department before leaving.: 5 hr 19 min
Left before being seen i Percentage of patients who left the ER before being seen.: 7%

View ER Costs

John Muir Medical Center - Walnut Creek CampusVoluntary non-profit - Other

Reported

Wait Time

65 min

Last Updated

Jun 30, 2026, 8:42 PM PDT

Overall rating: 3 stars
Source: Patient-reported wait time
Source info: Patient-reported arrival-to-first-seen time. Not verified by a hospital and not a measure of total ER visit time.
Historical Benchmark: Historical emergency department benchmark measures
ER volume: very high
Median time spent in ER i Median time patients spent in the emergency department before leaving.: 2 hr 57 min
Left before being seen i Percentage of patients who left the ER before being seen.: 1%

View ER Costs

Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Oakland/RichmondVoluntary non-profit - Private

Reported

Wait Time

90 min

Last Updated

Jun 5, 2026, 11:50 PM PDT

Overall rating: 2 stars
Source: Patient-reported wait time
Source info: Patient-reported arrival-to-first-seen time. Not verified by a hospital and not a measure of total ER visit time.
Historical Benchmark: Historical emergency department benchmark measures
ER volume: data unavailable
Median time spent in ER i Median time patients spent in the emergency department before leaving.: data unavailable
Left before being seen i Percentage of patients who left the ER before being seen.: data unavailable

View ER Costs

Chinese HospitalVoluntary non-profit - Private

Reported

Wait Time

125 min

Last Updated

Jun 4, 2026, 5:37 AM PDT

Overall rating: 3 stars
Source: Patient-reported wait time
Source info: Patient-reported arrival-to-first-seen time. Not verified by a hospital and not a measure of total ER visit time.
Historical Benchmark: Historical emergency department benchmark measures
ER volume: low
Median time spent in ER i Median time patients spent in the emergency department before leaving.: 2 hr 19 min
Left before being seen i Percentage of patients who left the ER before being seen.: 0%

View ER Costs

Emergency room wait times by facility
Facility Name	Overall Rating		Last Updated	Historical Benchmark (Jan 1, 2024 to Jun 30, 2025)
Facility Name	Overall Rating		Last Updated		i Median time patients spent in the emergency department before leaving.	Left before being seen i Percentage of patients who left the ER before being seen.
San Mateo Medical CenterGovernment - LocalView ER Costs	Not available	30 min Not a live wait estimate	Jun 21, 2026, 5:23 AM PDT Patient-reported arrival-to-first-seen time. Not verified by a hospital and not a measure of total ER visit time.	high	2 hr 57 min	3%
Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hosp & Trauma CtrGovernment - LocalView ER Costs	1 star	30 min Not a live wait estimate	Jun 4, 2026, 11:31 PM PDT Patient-reported arrival-to-first-seen time. Not verified by a hospital and not a measure of total ER visit time.	very high	5 hr 19 min	7%
John Muir Medical Center - Walnut Creek CampusVoluntary non-profit - OtherView ER Costs	3 stars	65 min Not a live wait estimate	Jun 30, 2026, 8:42 PM PDT Patient-reported arrival-to-first-seen time. Not verified by a hospital and not a measure of total ER visit time.	very high	2 hr 57 min	1%
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Oakland/RichmondVoluntary non-profit - PrivateView ER Costs	2 stars	90 min Not a live wait estimate	Jun 5, 2026, 11:50 PM PDT Patient-reported arrival-to-first-seen time. Not verified by a hospital and not a measure of total ER visit time.	data unavailable	data unavailable	data unavailable
Chinese HospitalVoluntary non-profit - PrivateView ER Costs	3 stars	125 min Not a live wait estimate	Jun 4, 2026, 5:37 AM PDT Patient-reported arrival-to-first-seen time. Not verified by a hospital and not a measure of total ER visit time.	low	2 hr 19 min	0%
Stanford Health Care Tri-ValleyVoluntary non-profit - PrivateView ER Costs	4 stars	125 min Not a live wait estimate	Jun 14, 2026, 8:47 AM PDT Patient-reported arrival-to-first-seen time. Not verified by a hospital and not a measure of total ER visit time.	high	3 hr 31 min	4%
Ahmc Seton Medical CenterVoluntary non-profit - ChurchView ER Costs	1 star	No current public wait time	May 22, 2026	low	3 hr 12 min	2%
Alameda HospitalGovernment - Hospital District or AuthorityView ER Costs	3 stars	No current public wait time	May 22, 2026	low	2 hr 33 min	1%
Alta Bates Summit Medical CenterVoluntary non-profit - PrivateView ER Costs	5 stars	No current public wait time	May 22, 2026	high	3 hr 53 min	2%
Alta Bates Summit Medical Center - Alta Bates CampVoluntary non-profit - PrivateView ER Costs	3 stars	No current public wait time	May 22, 2026	high	3 hr 28 min	2%

Showing 1-10 of 36 ER locations

Data Sources: Live wait-time values and recent patient reports are compiled from hospital-published sources, patient submissions, and verified updates. Historical data represents CMS-audited annual performance benchmarks and is not a live estimate of current ER volume. Hospital ownership labels and hospital overall ratings come from the CMS Hospital General Information dataset. CMS ratings are a broad summary, not a perfect measure of whether a hospital is best for a specific service.

Recent Patient Reports

Patient reports are submitted by site visitors. Wait times can change quickly and do not represent total ER visit time.

JOHN MUIR MEDICAL CENTER - WALNUT CREEK CAMPUS

65 min wait

Patient-reported

Arrival date and time: Jun 30, 2026, 7:37 PM PDT
Seen date and time: Jun 30, 2026, 8:42 PM PDT

SAN MATEO MEDICAL CENTER

30 min wait

Patient-reported

Arrival date and time: Jun 21, 2026, 4:53 AM PDT
Seen date and time: Jun 21, 2026, 5:23 AM PDT

Alternatives to the ER

Call 911 or go to the ER for chest pain, stroke symptoms, severe breathing trouble, major injury, severe allergic reaction, or any symptom that may be life-threatening.

For non-emergency symptoms, these options can help you get guidance and decide whether home care, urgent care, or a trip to the ER is the right call.

Call Your Insurer's free 24/7 Nurse Line

Many insurance plans include a free 24/7 nurse line where a registered nurse can help you weigh your symptoms and figure out the right next step.

See major insurance nurse line numbers

Use 24/7 Virtual Urgent Care

24/7 virtual urgent care lets you see a provider from home, often in minutes, without waiting room time or an ER bill. Self-pay rates start as low as $59 per visit, and many plans cover it for free.

See virtual urgent care options

Nearby Supported Metro Areas

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