Stanford Hospital

Stanford Hospital is the adult hospital of Stanford Health Care, one of the two health systems under the Stanford Medicine name. It occupies two connected buildings at 300 and 500 Pasteur Drive, on land Stanford owns at the northwest corner of Palo Alto between Sand Hill Road, Welch Road and Stanford Shopping Center. For most residents it is the closest full-service hospital and the place an ambulance takes anyone badly hurt on the Peninsula.

This page explains what the hospital is, where its emergency department sits, how parking and visiting work and a few practical points for residents. It is general information, not medical advice. In an emergency, call 911. Details come from Stanford Health Care's own pages as they read in late October and early November 2026. Our separate guide to visiting Stanford Hospital goes deeper on shuttles, food and lodging for families.

Two buildings, one hospital

The hospital is really a pair. The older building at 300 Pasteur Drive dates from the medical center Stanford opened on campus in 1959, when the medical school moved down from San Francisco. Its patterned concrete screens by Edward Durell Stone are still the most recognizable part of the campus. Our history of Stanford Medicine covers that move and what came before it.

The newer building at 500 Pasteur Drive is the one most people now mean by "Stanford Hospital." Stanford dedicated it on October 23, 2019 and moved the first patients in on November 17, 2019. Stanford Medicine describes it as seven stories and 824,000 square feet with 368 private patient rooms. Rafael Viñoly Architects designed it and gardens wrap around the base. The same morning the building opened, Stanford also opened its new adult and pediatric emergency departments.

Both buildings share one visitor garage and one free cart shuttle. Stanford's location page lists both addresses as Stanford, CA 94305, while its map links show Palo Alto, CA 94304. Either works for navigation. If you are not sure which building or clinic you need, Stanford's page says to call 650-723-4000 before you leave home.

The emergency department and trauma center

Stanford's adult emergency is the Marc and Laura Andreessen Adult Emergency Department at 1199 Welch Road. Children and teenagers go to the Marc and Laura Andreessen Pediatric Emergency Department at 900 Quarry Road Extension, which Stanford says is just down the hall from Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. Stanford's emergency department page lists 650-723-5111 for both.

The same page makes several claims residents should know:

• Trauma. Stanford calls its trauma center "the only Level 1 Trauma Center between San Francisco and the South Bay." It describes its pediatric trauma center in the same words.
• Stroke and heart. The adult department lists Comprehensive Stroke Center and Chest Pain Center designations.
• Transfers. A 24-hour transfer center at 1-800-800-1551 takes calls from other hospitals and doctors, not from the public.
• Language help. The pediatric department says interpreter services cover 200 languages.

Level 1 is the highest trauma designation. In practice it means seriously injured people from a wide area, including car crashes on Highway 101 and Interstate 280, are often brought here by ambulance or helicopter. That can make the waiting room busy. Emergency departments see the most urgent cases first, so a person with a minor problem may wait a long time.

Stanford's page says to "call 911 immediately or go to your nearest hospital" for life-threatening emergencies. For problems that are urgent but not life-threatening, such as colds, sprains or ear infections, it points to its Express Care, urgent care and walk-in clinics. Our emergency rooms guide compares every nearby emergency department. Our urgent care guide lists the same-day clinics.

Parking and getting to the door

Self-parking for both hospital buildings is the Pasteur Visitor Garage at 200 Pasteur Drive. Stanford's garage page lists it as open 24 hours a day, every day, with these rates:

Payment is by credit card only. In late October 2026 the page said elevator service in the garage was out for planned upgrades, with golf carts running on every level in the meantime. Allow extra time.

Emergency patients have their own lot. Stanford's emergency parking page lists Emergency Department Parking at 1199 Welch Road, open around the clock, with validation available for emergency department patients. It did not list rates on its public page when we checked, so ask at the desk.

The free cart shuttle

A free door-to-door shuttle links the garage with 300 and 500 Pasteur Drive and 875 and 900 Blake Wilbur Drive. It runs daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and comes about every 10 minutes on weekdays. People with limited mobility can request on-demand pickup at 650-736-8000 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., or 650-422-1936 from 6 to 7 a.m. and 5 to 8:30 p.m.

Without a car, Stanford's free Marguerite shuttle runs weekdays from the Palo Alto Transit Center beside the downtown Caltrain station to the medical center. It does not run on weekends or university holidays. See our Marguerite shuttle guide for the lines.

Visiting rules

Stanford Health Care's visitor policy, republished on October 30, 2026, sets out these rules:

• Hours. Inpatient visiting runs 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Inpatient psychiatry is shorter: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on weekdays and noon to 8:30 p.m. on weekends and holidays.
• How many. Normally two visitors per patient at a time. Staff can delay or limit visits based on the patient's care.
• Overnight. One overnight visitor in a private room, with approval from the patient and nursing staff. Shared rooms need extra approval.
• In the emergency department. Up to two visitors at the bedside once the patient has a room. Visitors generally cannot wait in the emergency waiting room, with exceptions for visitors 75 and older and those supporting a patient with a disability.
• Ages and masks. Some waiting areas allow one visitor aged 16 or older. From November 1, the policy notes Santa Clara County's recommendation to mask in patient care areas. Anyone with respiratory symptoms must mask.

Guest Services answers at 650-498-3333 around the clock and can sort out most questions about where to go.

What residents should know

Living a mile or two from a major academic hospital is a real advantage, but it helps to understand how the system works before you need it.

• Insurance. Stanford Health Care and Sutter Health's Palo Alto Medical Foundation are separate systems that take different plans. Check your network before you choose a primary care doctor. Our healthcare overview explains the main options.
• Emergency care is different. Federal law requires hospital emergency departments to screen and stabilize anyone who arrives, whatever their insurance. Billing afterward depends on your plan.
• Advice line. Stanford lists an advice nurse at 650-723-4000 for help deciding where to get care.
• Ambulances. In Palo Alto, 911 medical calls bring Palo Alto Fire paramedics, who decide where to take a patient. Our public safety guide explains dispatch.
• Patient portal. Stanford patients manage appointments and records through MyHealth. If you also see Sutter doctors, ask both offices how to share results.

Food, lodging and the rest of the campus

Long days at the hospital are easier with a plan for meals and sleep. Stanford Shopping Center is a short walk from Pasteur Drive and our guide to eating near Stanford Hospital lists options by distance. Families staying several nights can compare hotels near the medical campus and then call the hotel about patient rates. Our hotels near Stanford Hospital guide covers the published patient rate list.

Next door, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital has its own entrances, garage and visiting rules, covered on our Lucile Packard Children's Hospital page. The School of Medicine's teaching and research buildings line Campus Drive and Pasteur Drive.

Frequently asked questions