Emergency rooms near Palo Alto

Palo Alto has an unusual amount of emergency care within a few miles. Stanford's medical campus on the northwest edge of town runs separate adult and pediatric emergency departments, both at the top trauma level. The VA runs a 24-hour emergency department for veterans in the foothills. El Camino Hospital in Mountain View and two Kaiser Permanente hospitals in Redwood City and Santa Clara round out the list.

This guide lists each department, who it serves and how the hospitals themselves describe when to use the emergency room. It is general information, not medical advice. It cannot tell you where to go for a particular problem. In an emergency, call 911. Details come from the hospitals' own pages as they read in late October 2026.

Emergency departments near Palo Alto

Federal law requires any hospital emergency department to screen and stabilize anyone who arrives, whatever their insurance or ability to pay. Which department is best for a given emergency is a decision for paramedics, dispatchers and doctors.

Stanford's adult and pediatric departments

Stanford Health Care's emergency department page covers both of its Palo Alto departments, with 650-723-5111 listed for each. It notes that no medical advice is given by phone.

• The adult department at 1199 Welch Road is described as "the only Level 1 Trauma Center between San Francisco and the South Bay." It also lists Comprehensive Stroke Center and Chest Pain Center designations.
• The pediatric department at 900 Quarry Road Extension is described as "the only Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center between San Francisco and the South Bay." Stanford says it is just down the hall from Lucile Packard Children's Hospital and offers interpreters in 200 languages.

Emergency patients can use Emergency Department Parking at 1199 Welch Road, open 24 hours, with validation for emergency patients. Stanford's visitor policy allows up to two visitors at the bedside once a patient has a room and generally does not allow visitors to wait in the emergency waiting room. Our Stanford Hospital page has more on the campus. Families with children should also read our Lucile Packard Children's Hospital page.

The VA, El Camino and Kaiser

Palo Alto VA Medical Center

VA.gov lists the medical center at 3801 Miranda Avenue and its emergency department as open 24 hours a day. The VA's own advice is to call 911 or go to the nearest VA or non-VA emergency department in an emergency. See our VA Palo Alto page.

El Camino Hospital, Mountain View

El Camino Health lists its Mountain View emergency room at 2500 Grant Road as open 24 hours for people of all ages, with emergency parking off South Drive. It describes stroke care with Joint Commission Gold Seal recognition and STEMI Receiving Center status for heart attacks. A separate obstetrics emergency department in labor and delivery serves pregnant patients after 16 weeks, around the clock. Our El Camino Hospital page has details.

Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser lists 24-hour emergency departments at its Redwood City and Santa Clara medical centers. Its Mountain View Medical Offices, the closest Kaiser site to Palo Alto, have no emergency or urgent care. Kaiser members in an emergency should call 911 like anyone else. Our Kaiser guide explains advice lines and after-hours options.

ER or urgent care: how hospitals describe it

The health systems draw the line in similar ways. Stanford Health Care's where to get care page says to "Call 911 or go to the Emergency Department immediately" for problems including:

• chest pain or pressure
• shortness of breath
• sudden weakness or inability to walk, talk, see or move
• severe bleeding
• loss of consciousness
• injury from an accident, fall or other trauma
• seizures, poisoning or overdose

For minor injuries and illnesses that are not life-threatening, especially when your doctor's office is closed, the same page points to Express Care, urgent care and walk-in clinics. Its examples include colds, coughs, ear infections, rashes, sprains, cuts and urinary tract infections. Sutter's Palo Alto urgent care says it "offers a faster, convenient and cost-effective alternative to going to the emergency room" and also tells people to call 911 for a medical emergency.

Two points matter. Emergency departments see the sickest patients first, so a minor problem can mean a long wait. Urgent care clinics are not equipped for true emergencies. If you are unsure, Stanford lists an advice nurse at 650-723-4000. Many health plans print a nurse line on the insurance card. When in doubt about something serious, call 911. Our urgent care guide lists the clinics in and near town.

Calling 911

In Palo Alto, a 911 medical call brings Palo Alto Fire, which staffs paramedic ambulances at stations around the city. Paramedics can start treatment on scene and on the way. They also choose the destination hospital based on the emergency. El Camino Health's emergency page puts it plainly: if an emergency is life-threatening, call 911 immediately and do not try to drive yourself.

• Give the address first, including the city, in case the call drops.
• Stay on the line and follow the dispatcher's instructions.
• Unlock the door and turn on a porch light at night if you can.
• Have a medication list ready for paramedics, if one is handy.

Ambulance rides are billed separately from hospital care. Palo Alto Fire offers FireMed, a low-cost ambulance subscription for households. Our public safety guide explains dispatch and FireMed.

Emergencies with children

Stanford's pediatric emergency department is built for children, with a child-friendly setting and pediatric specialists next door at Lucile Packard. El Camino Hospital's ER also treats people of all ages. For problems that are not emergencies, Sutter's children's urgent care at 795 El Camino Real lists hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily for patients from birth to 17. If you are worried a child may have swallowed something harmful, Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 answers around the clock. In any situation where a child is struggling to breathe, unresponsive or seriously hurt, call 911.

Frequently asked questions