Lab tests and imaging in Palo Alto

Blood tests and imaging are among the most routine parts of health care. They are also among the easiest to get wrong. The test itself is quick. The trouble comes from going to a lab outside your network, showing up without the order or arriving after the lab has closed for lunch. This guide lists where Palo Alto residents can go and what to check first.

This page is general information, not medical advice. Every location named was confirmed on its operator's own location page in November 2026. They are grouped by operator, not ranked. Hours change often, sometimes weekly, so check the linked page before you go. In an emergency, call 911.

Before you go

1. Get the order. Labs and imaging centers need an order from a clinician. Most orders travel electronically, but bring a printed copy if you have one.
2. Check your network. Some insurance plans contract with one lab company and not another. A test at an out-of-network lab can cost far more. Your plan's directory or member services line will say which labs it uses.
3. Ask about preparation. Some blood tests need fasting. Many imaging scans need you to avoid food, remove metal or arrive early. Follow the instructions on your order or call the site.
4. Bring ID and your insurance card.
5. Use the same system when you can. Results land in the same portal as your doctor's notes when you test inside your own health system.

Stanford Health Care blood draw sites

Stanford lists more than a dozen blood draw sites across the Bay Area. The two most used by Palo Alto residents are on or near the medical campus:

Stanford's list also includes labs at the Stanford Cancer Center, the Stanford Medicine Outpatient Center in Redwood City and Menlo Medical Clinic sites on Crane Street and Middlefield Road. Children usually have blood drawn at Stanford Medicine Children's Health sites. Hoover Pavilion is a short walk from the Palo Alto Transit Center and is served by the free Marguerite shuttle on weekdays. Our Stanford parking and transit guide explains the routes.

Sutter's Palo Alto Center

Sutter lists laboratory services and diagnostic imaging at its Palo Alto Center, 795 El Camino Real. The campus also has a sensory-friendly clinic that helps children with disabilities, anxiety or phobias through blood draws and vaccinations. Sutter patients usually see lab hours and book imaging through My Health Online. Our Palo Alto Medical Foundation guide covers parking, which can fill at midday.

Labcorp and Quest Diagnostics

The two national lab companies serve many independent doctors and most insurance plans. Their locations near Palo Alto, from their own location pages:

Quest's own location search showed no site inside Palo Alto in November 2026. Both companies close some sites for a lunch hour. Both let you book an appointment online, which usually shortens the wait. Walk-ins are often accepted when there is room. Both also sell some tests directly to consumers online. Results from those tests still need a clinician to interpret them.

Imaging: X-ray, CT, MRI and mammograms

Stanford Health Care books outpatient imaging through its Radiology Scheduling Center at 650-723-6855, which lists hours of 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. Its Palo Alto imaging sites include:

• Hoover Pavilion, 211 Quarry Road
• Blake Wilbur Building, 900 Blake Wilbur Drive
• Stanford Medicine Imaging Center, 451 Sherman Avenue, near California Avenue. Stanford lists breast imaging here as well as general imaging.

Stanford's imaging pages note that walk-in appointments are available for diagnostic X-rays at select locations. Call the scheduling line to ask which site takes walk-ins that day. MRI, CT, ultrasound and nuclear medicine need an appointment. Many also need prior authorization from your insurer first. Ask your doctor's office whether that has been done before you book.

Sutter patients have diagnostic imaging at the Palo Alto Center. Kaiser members can use laboratory, radiology and mammography services at the Mountain View Medical Offices, 555 Castro Street; see our Kaiser guide. Veterans enrolled in VA care use VA labs and imaging.

Costs and surprise bills

Lab and imaging prices vary widely between hospitals, independent centers and national labs. A few protections help:

• Good faith estimates. Under the federal No Surprises Act, people who are uninsured or paying themselves can ask for a good faith estimate before a scheduled service.
• Network rules. If your plan uses a specific lab company, tell your doctor so the order goes there.
• Prior authorization. Many plans require approval before an MRI or CT. A scan done without it may not be covered.
• Preventive tests. Many screening tests, such as routine mammograms and some blood tests, are covered without a copay under most plans when done in network.

Our health insurance guide covers plans and Medi-Cal. If you are still looking for a doctor to order tests, start with our finding a doctor guide.

Which lab should you use?

For most people the answer comes from two questions. First, which system is your doctor in? A Stanford doctor's order goes most smoothly at a Stanford lab. The same holds for Sutter and Kaiser. Second, which lab does your insurance prefer? An independent doctor's office usually sends orders to Labcorp or Quest, depending on your plan. If you are unsure, ask the office staff when they give you the order. They see the same question every day.

Getting your results

Results usually appear in your patient portal: Stanford's MyHealth, Sutter's My Health Online, Kaiser's member site or the Labcorp and Quest patient portals for tests done there. Some results post before your doctor has reviewed them. If a number looks alarming, message your doctor's office rather than searching online. Ask how the office will contact you about abnormal results and how long to wait before following up.

Practical tips

• Go early in the morning for fasting tests. Labs are often busiest from mid-morning until lunch.
• Check the lunch break. Labcorp's Palo Alto site and several Quest sites stop drawing blood for an hour midday.
• For a urine sample or timed test, ask for the container and instructions ahead of time.
• Drink water before a blood draw unless told not to. It makes veins easier to find.
• Tell the technologist if you have fainted during blood draws before. They can have you lie down.
• Children, people with needle fear and people with disabilities can ask for extra time or a quieter room. Sutter's sensory-friendly clinic is designed for this.
• For step-free routes and accessible parking near medical buildings, see our accessible travel guide.

Frequently asked questions