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Stanford's medical campus is the obvious hospital for most of Palo Alto, but it is not the only one close by. El Camino Hospital's Mountain View campus on Grant Road is a short drive south of the city line. Some families there find it as convenient as Stanford, especially for childbirth or a visit to the ER. El Camino Health, the not-for-profit system that runs it, also has a hospital in Los Gatos and clinics across Santa Clara County.
This page covers the Mountain View hospital's emergency room, its obstetrics emergency department, maternity care and practical details for Palo Alto residents. It is general information, not medical advice. In an emergency, call 911. Details come from El Camino Health's own pages as they read in late October 2026.
About El Camino Health
El Camino Health's about page says it has served the area since 1961. It describes "two not-for-profit acute care hospitals in Los Gatos and Mountain View," along with urgent, specialty and primary care sites. The same page lists recognition on Newsweek's World's Best Hospitals and Best Hospitals for Maternity Care lists.
The hospital's origins explain its name and its ties to the area. According to Wikipedia, voters approved a special tax district and construction bonds in 1956 and the hospital opened in 1961. The El Camino Healthcare District covers Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills and parts of Sunnyvale, Santa Clara and Cupertino. Palo Alto is not in the district. That does not limit who can be treated; it only affects who elects the district board and pays its tax. Wikipedia lists about 420 beds on the Mountain View campus. We could not confirm that figure on El Camino Health's own pages.
The emergency room
El Camino Health's Mountain View ER page gives the essentials:
- Address: 2500 Grant Road, Mountain View, CA 94040.
- Hours: open 24 hours, Monday to Sunday.
- Phone: 650-940-7055.
- Who it serves: "people of all ages," with injuries and illnesses "from minor to life threatening."
- Parking: emergency parking is off South Drive.
The system's emergency care page adds more. It describes the hospital as a STEMI Receiving Center that can perform emergency procedures to open blocked heart arteries. It notes Joint Commission Gold Seal recognition for stroke care. It says the emergency department works with mental health services on the Mountain View campus for psychiatric crisis care and an acute inpatient program. Pediatric care appears among its specialty services, but the page does not describe a separate children's ER.
The same page is direct about two points. If an emergency is life-threatening, call 911 immediately. Do not try to drive yourself to the hospital. It also links to an ER wait times tool, though wait times change from hour to hour.
El Camino Health's pages do not list a trauma center designation for Mountain View. Stanford describes its own trauma center as the only Level 1 trauma center between San Francisco and the South Bay. Paramedics decide where to take each patient. Our emergency rooms guide compares every department near Palo Alto.
The obstetrics emergency department
One of the hospital's more unusual services is a separate emergency unit for pregnancy concerns. El Camino Health's obstetrics emergency department page describes it this way:
- It is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, inside the labor and delivery units in Mountain View and Los Gatos.
- It serves pregnant patients after 16 weeks, including those whose obstetrician is not with El Camino Health.
- OB hospitalist doctors and labor and delivery nurses staff it. No referral is needed.
- Common reasons to come include bleeding or cramping, contractions, water breaking and signs of preeclampsia.
- The Mountain View number is 650-940-7165.
Before 16 weeks, the page says to go to the main emergency department instead.
Maternity and newborn care
El Camino Health's mother and baby page describes maternity care in Mountain View and Los Gatos. It mentions private birthing suites, neonatal intensive care units at both hospitals and classes on labor preparation, breastfeeding and infant safety. It also offers postpartum guidance and mental health resources. A virtual tour is available online.
The Mountain View campus also lists Maternal Outreach Mood Services, known as MOMS, at 2400 Grant Road, a program for perinatal mood concerns. Its listed phone is 650-988-8468.
Palo Alto families choosing between El Camino and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford usually decide based on their obstetrician and their insurance. Ask your doctor where they deliver. Our Lucile Packard page covers the Stanford option. For gear and classes, see our baby and maternity shopping guide.
Other services on the campus
The Mountain View campus spreads across Grant Road and Hospital Drive. El Camino Health's location listings show, among others:
| Service | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Cancer Center Mountain View | 2505 Hospital Drive | 650-988-8338 |
| Endoscopy | 2500 Grant Road | 650-988-8262 |
| Physical Therapy and Rehab | 2400 Grant Road, 2nd floor | 650-940-7285 |
| Cardiac Rehabilitation and Pulmonary Diagnostics | 2500 Grant Road | 650-940-7077 |
Specialty offices in the Sobrato and Melchor buildings on Hospital Drive cover cardiology, pulmonology, spine and vascular surgery, urology and gastroenterology. Most are weekday clinics.
Urgent care in Mountain View
For problems that are not life-threatening, El Camino Health lists Urgent and Walk-In Care Mountain View at 1150 W. El Camino Real. It is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day. The phone is 650-988-7667. In Palo Alto itself, Sutter's urgent care clinics at 795 El Camino Real stay open until 8 p.m. Our urgent care guide lists both.
Insurance and choosing a hospital
For a planned stay, such as a delivery or surgery, insurance usually decides where you go. Palo Alto residents are spread across Stanford, Sutter, Kaiser and other networks. El Camino Health works with its own set of plans and doctors. Before you pick a hospital for a planned stay, ask your doctor where they have privileges and call your plan to confirm the hospital is in network.
Emergencies work differently. Federal law requires hospital emergency departments to give a medical screening exam and stabilizing care regardless of insurance or ability to pay. What you owe afterward depends on your plan. Kaiser members can read our Kaiser Permanente guide for the nearest Kaiser hospitals. Everyone else can find the full picture in our healthcare overview.
Getting there from Palo Alto
From Palo Alto, most drivers take El Camino Real south into Mountain View and turn onto Grant Road. From south Palo Alto the drive is short outside rush hour, but weekday commute traffic on El Camino Real can add time. If someone is seriously ill, call 911 instead of driving. Our Mountain View guide has more on the city. Visitors spending a long day at the hospital can find food along Castro Street, a short drive away.
Good to know
- Life-threatening emergency: call 911. Do not drive yourself.
- Mountain View ER: 2500 Grant Road, open 24 hours, 650-940-7055.
- Pregnancy emergency after 16 weeks: obstetrics emergency department, 650-940-7165.
- Emergency parking is off South Drive.
- This page is general information, not medical advice.
Frequently asked questions
Is El Camino Hospital's emergency room open 24 hours?
Yes. El Camino Health lists the emergency room at its Mountain View hospital, 2500 Grant Road, as open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for people of all ages. The phone is 650-940-7055. Emergency parking is off South Drive. In a life-threatening emergency, call 911 rather than driving yourself.
What is the obstetrics emergency department at El Camino Hospital?
It is a 24-hour emergency unit for pregnancy concerns, located within labor and delivery rather than the main ER. El Camino Health says it serves patients more than 16 weeks pregnant, including those whose obstetrician is outside El Camino Health. The Mountain View number is 650-940-7165. Before 16 weeks, go to the main emergency department.
Can Palo Alto residents use El Camino Hospital?
Yes. The hospital treats patients from anywhere. The El Camino Healthcare District that founded it covers Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills and parts of Sunnyvale, Santa Clara and Cupertino, but not Palo Alto. Whether a visit is in network depends on your insurance plan.
Does El Camino Hospital deliver babies?
Yes. El Camino Health offers maternity care at its Mountain View and Los Gatos hospitals, with private birthing suites, neonatal intensive care units and classes on labor, breastfeeding and infant safety. A virtual tour is available on its website.
Is there an El Camino urgent care near Palo Alto?
El Camino Health lists Urgent and Walk-In Care Mountain View at 1150 W. El Camino Real, open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day, phone 650-988-7667. It is for problems that are not life-threatening.