On this page
Health care is one of Palo Alto's biggest industries. Stanford's medical campus sits at the north edge of the city. A major Sutter Health medical group has its home base on El Camino Real. A large Veterans Affairs medical center with a major research program sits on Miranda Avenue. OpenStreetMap, the open map our directory starts from, also tags about 110 smaller health businesses inside city limits. Roughly 40 are dental offices. The rest are doctors' offices, clinics, opticians and optometrists, pharmacies and labs.
Below this guide, every practice we have verified appears automatically as a card. The guide explains the large systems, the difference between urgent care and an emergency room in general terms, where clinics cluster and how to choose a provider. It describes how care is organized. It does not give medical advice or judge the quality of care.
In an emergency
- Call 911 for any life-threatening emergency.
- Stanford's adult emergency department is at 1199 Welch Road. Stanford's own advice is to call 911 or go to the nearest hospital.
- This page lists places. It does not give medical advice.
The three major health systems
Most care in Palo Alto runs through three large organizations. Many smaller practices in the directory are independent, but they often refer patients to one of these.
Stanford Health Care
Stanford Health Care runs Stanford Hospital at 500 Pasteur Drive, which opened to patients in November 2019. Its Marc and Laura Andreessen Adult Emergency Department is at 1199 Welch Road. Stanford Health Care describes it as the only Level 1 trauma center between San Francisco and the South Bay. Next door, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford at 725 Welch Road is run by Stanford Children's Health and has its own pediatric emergency department. Stanford also runs a large network of outpatient clinics on Welch Road, Blake Wilbur Drive and at Hoover Pavilion. Families visiting a patient should read our guide to visiting Stanford Hospital. For a longer stay, see hotels near Stanford.
Palo Alto Medical Foundation (Sutter Health)
The Palo Alto Medical Foundation, usually called PAMF, began as the Palo Alto Medical Clinic, founded by Dr. Russel V. A. Lee in 1930. It became part of Sutter Health in 1993. The Palo Alto Center at 795 El Camino Real is its main local campus. Sutter lists an urgent care clinic on Level 1 of the Lee Building there, with walk-ins welcome.
VA Palo Alto Health Care System
The VA Palo Alto Health Care System serves eligible veterans. Its Palo Alto division is at 3801 Miranda Avenue. The system also has divisions in Menlo Park and Livermore, several community clinics and about 600 beds in all. The VA says it is primarily affiliated with the Stanford University School of Medicine and runs the second largest research program in the Veterans Health Administration. Veterans should check the VA site for which services each division offers.
Urgent care, walk-in clinics and emergency rooms
The names sound similar but the places are set up for different jobs. In general terms:
| Type of care | What it is set up for | Hours in general |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency department | Serious or life-threatening problems and trauma | Open 24 hours, every day |
| Urgent care | Problems that need attention soon but are not emergencies | Daytime and evening, often weekends |
| Walk-in or same-day clinic | Minor problems when your regular doctor has no opening | Set hours, sometimes weekdays only |
| Primary care office | Checkups, ongoing conditions and referrals | By appointment, usually weekdays |
| Video visit | Questions that do not need an exam in person | Varies by provider and insurer |
Two examples show how hours differ. Sutter's Palo Alto Center Urgent Care lists daily hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Stanford Walk-In Clinic at Hoover Pavilion lists weekday hours from 2:30 to 10 p.m. for patients age 2 and older. Hours change, so check the official page before you go.
Which one fits a given situation is a medical question. This page cannot answer it. If you are unsure, call 911 or the advice line on the back of your insurance card. Costs can differ a lot between these settings, so check your plan when you can.
Where clinics and practices cluster
The Stanford medical campus and Welch Road
The largest cluster sits at the north edge of the city, between Sand Hill Road, Welch Road and Stanford Shopping Center. Stanford Hospital, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital and many outpatient clinics line Pasteur Drive, Welch Road and Blake Wilbur Drive. Some buildings have their own parking, so check the clinic's page for the right garage before you drive.
Hoover Pavilion
Hoover Pavilion at 211 Quarry Road, near El Camino Real and Stanford Shopping Center, holds Stanford clinics, imaging and a blood draw site, plus the walk-in clinic. The Hoover Pavilion Garage is next door at 217 Quarry Road and is open 24 hours a day. Stanford lists the first hour free, then hourly charges up to a daily maximum.
El Camino Real
PAMF's Palo Alto Center at 795 El Camino Real anchors a second cluster near Town & Country Village. More dental offices, eye care shops and small practices line El Camino Real farther south.
Downtown, California Avenue and Midtown
Dentists and small medical offices fill the upper floors of University Avenue and its side streets in downtown. California Avenue has a similar mix close to its Caltrain station. Midtown practices sit along Middlefield Road and mostly serve nearby residents. The VA's Palo Alto division is apart from all of these, on Miranda Avenue, away from the commercial districts.
Pharmacies
Chain drugstores with pharmacy counters sit downtown, in Midtown, near California Avenue and along El Camino Real. Some grocery stores have pharmacies too. Large medical groups often run pharmacies for their own patients, so ask your clinic where it sends prescriptions. A few practical points:
- Pharmacy counter hours are often shorter than the store's hours. Check before a late trip.
- Your insurance plan may prefer certain pharmacies or a mail-order service.
- Every California pharmacy needs a license from the Board of Pharmacy, which you can look up on the state License Search.
How to choose a provider
This directory does not rank doctors or dentists. These steps help you compare them on facts:
- Start with your insurance. Check the insurer's directory for providers in your network, then confirm with the office. Networks change.
- Check the license. The Department of Consumer Affairs License Search covers the Medical Board of California, the Osteopathic Medical Board, the Dental Board of California, the Board of Pharmacy and the Board of Optometry. It shows whether a license is current and any public discipline.
- Check new patient status. Many busy practices pause new patients. Ask how long the wait is for a first visit.
- Think about location. A clinic near Caltrain or on a Marguerite shuttle line can matter more than you expect for repeat visits.
- Ask about languages and access. Many offices list the languages their staff speak. Ask about step-free entry and parking if you need them.
- Know the after-hours plan. Ask where the practice sends patients at night and on weekends.
Appointments, parking and transit
Most practices book by phone or through a patient portal. Arrive early for a first visit to fill in forms and bring your insurance card and a photo ID. Cancellation fees are common, so read the policy when you book.
Parking depends on where you go. Stanford Hospital visitors use the Pasteur Visitor Garage at 200 Pasteur Drive. Hoover Pavilion has its own garage. For PAMF's Palo Alto Center, check Sutter's location page for parking directions. Downtown and California Avenue practices rely on city garages, lots and time-limited street spaces. The City of Palo Alto parking page has the rules.
Transit works better than many people expect. Stanford's free Marguerite shuttle runs weekdays from the Palo Alto Transit Center beside the Caltrain station. A separate Hospital: Direct line links Hoover Pavilion, the medical center and the Stock Farm Garage. VTA Route 22 and Rapid 522 run along El Camino Real past PAMF. Our Stanford parking and transit guide and getting around guide have the details.
How we check health and medical listings
Every page in this category follows the same process. We start from OpenStreetMap data for the name, location and any posted hours. Then an editor opens the practice's own website and confirms that the Palo Alto location is current, with a live location page, recent dates or online booking. If we cannot confirm that a practice is open, we do not publish a page.
Each page describes the practice, its services and its booking or insurance details only as the practice publishes them. We name clinicians only as the practice lists them. We do not publish reviews, ratings or rankings and we do not judge the quality of care. Nothing on these pages is medical advice. Practices cannot pay for a listing or a better position. Every page shows the date it was checked. Location data is © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License.
Browse the health and medical listings
The verified practices appear below in alphabetical order. Each card leads to a page with the address, nearest Caltrain stop, parking notes, hours where we could confirm them and what else is nearby. More dental offices, clinics and pharmacies are added as editors verify them.
In this section
Frequently asked questions
Where is the emergency room in Palo Alto?
Stanford Health Care's Marc and Laura Andreessen Adult Emergency Department is at 1199 Welch Road, part of Stanford Hospital. Stanford describes it as the only Level 1 trauma center between San Francisco and the South Bay. Children have a separate pediatric emergency department run with Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. In a life-threatening emergency, call 911.
What is the difference between urgent care and an emergency room?
Emergency departments are open around the clock and are set up for serious or life-threatening problems. Urgent care and walk-in clinics handle problems that need attention soon but are not emergencies, usually during set daytime and evening hours. This page does not give medical advice. If you are unsure, call 911 or your doctor's advice line.
What is the Palo Alto Medical Foundation?
The Palo Alto Medical Foundation, or PAMF, grew from the Palo Alto Medical Clinic founded by Dr. Russel V. A. Lee in 1930. It has been part of Sutter Health since 1993. Its Palo Alto Center is at 795 El Camino Real, where Sutter lists an urgent care clinic in the Lee Building.
Who can use the VA hospital in Palo Alto?
The VA Palo Alto Health Care System serves eligible veterans. Its Palo Alto division is at 3801 Miranda Avenue, with other divisions in Menlo Park and Livermore. Veterans can check eligibility and services on the system's page at va.gov.
How do I check a doctor's or dentist's license in California?
Use the state Department of Consumer Affairs License Search. It covers the Medical Board of California, the Osteopathic Medical Board, the Dental Board of California, the Board of Pharmacy and the Board of Optometry, among others. Results show license status and any public discipline.