ER Wait Times in Colorado: 76 Hospitals Compared
76 hospitals in Colorado report how long their emergency room patients stay. The middle value here is 134.5 minutes; national (Medicare): 162 minutes.
What this time means
Each hospital’s number is Medicare measure OP-18b: the median (middle) time from arriving at the emergency room to leaving it, for patients who were treated and went home. Half of these patients left sooner, half later. It is not the time before seeing a doctor, and it leaves out patients who were admitted to the hospital, transferred, or seen for mental health.
Medicare’s name for the measure: “Average (median) time patients spent in the emergency department before leaving from the visit, excluding patients transferred to another facility or psychiatric care/mental health patients. A lower number of minutes is better”. Patients seen October 2024 to September 2025.
Emergency rooms in Colorado, shortest time first
Ranked by Medicare's median time (OP-18b), shortest first; hospitals with the same time share a rank. Left without being seen: share of ER patients who left before a doctor or nurse saw them (January 2024 to December 2024; national 2%). ER volume: patients per year, as Medicare groups it.
| # | Hospital | City | Median time in the ER | Left without being seen | ER volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rio Grande Hospital | Del Norte | 45 min | Not reported | — |
| 2 | Family Health West Hospital | Fruita | 48 min† | Not reported | — |
| 3 | Lincoln Health Hospital | Hugo | 94 min (1 h 34 min)† | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 4 | Sterling Regional Medcenter | Sterling | 97 min (1 h 37 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 5 | Animas Surgical Hospital, LLC | Durango | 99 min (1 h 39 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 6 | UCHealth Grandview Hospital | Colorado Springs | 101 min (1 h 41 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 7 | University of Colorado Hospital Authority | Aurora | 102 min (1 h 42 min) | 0% | Very high (60,000 or more) |
| 8 | Uch-Memorial Health System | Colorado Springs | 103 min (1 h 43 min) | 0% | Very high (60,000 or more) |
| 9 | UCHealth Broomfield Hospital | Broomfield | 105 min (1 h 45 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 10 | Southwest Memorial Hospital | Cortez | 106 min (1 h 46 min) | Not reported | — |
| 10 | St Elizabeth Hospital | Fort Morgan | 106 min (1 h 46 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 12 | Mt San Rafael Hospital | Trinidad | 107 min (1 h 47 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 13 | UCHealth Pikes Peak Regional Hospital | Woodland Park | 109 min (1 h 49 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 13 | Wray Community District Hospital | Wray | 109 min (1 h 49 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 15 | Grand River Hospital District | Rifle | 110 min (1 h 50 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 16 | East Morgan County Hospital | Brush | 111 min (1 h 51 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 17 | Kit Carson County Memorial Hospital | Burlington | 115 min (1 h 55 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 18 | UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center | Steamboat Springs | 116 min (1 h 56 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 19 | Spanish Peaks Regional Health Center | Walsenburg | 117 min (1 h 57 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 20 | Banner Fort Collins Medical Center | Fort Collins | 118 min (1 h 58 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 20 | Prowers Medical Center | Lamar | 118 min (1 h 58 min)† | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 20 | St Francis Hospital - Interquest | Colorado Springs | 118 min (1 h 58 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 20 | Weisbrod Memorial County Hospital | Eads | 118 min (1 h 58 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 24 | HCA HealthOne Presbyterian St. Lukes | Denver | 121 min (2 h 1 min) | 0% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 25 | Hca-Healthone dba Swedish Medical Center | Englewood | 122 min (2 h 2 min) | 1% | Very high (60,000 or more) |
| 25 | The Memorial Hospital | Craig | 122 min (2 h 2 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 27 | Sedgwick County Memorial Hospital | Julesburg | 123 min (2 h 3 min) | Not reported | — |
| 28 | Yuma District Hospital | Yuma | 125 min (2 h 5 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 29 | HCA HealthONE Mountain Ridge | Thornton | 126 min (2 h 6 min) | 0% | High (40,000–59,999) |
| 30 | Poudre Valley Hospital | Fort Collins | 127 min (2 h 7 min) | 0% | High (40,000–59,999) |
| 31 | Evans ACH (FT Carson) | Fort Carson | 128 min (2 h 8 min) | 1% | High (40,000–59,999) |
| 32 | HCA HealthONE Rose | Denver | 130 min (2 h 10 min) | 1% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 32 | Longs Peak Hospital | Longmont | 130 min (2 h 10 min) | 0% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 34 | Middle Park Medical Center | Kremmling | 132 min (2 h 12 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 34 | UCHealth Greeley Hospital | Greeley | 132 min (2 h 12 min) | 0% | High (40,000–59,999) |
| 36 | Medical Center of the Rockies | Loveland | 133 min (2 h 13 min) | 0% | High (40,000–59,999) |
| 37 | Gunnison Valley Hospital | Gunnison | 134 min (2 h 14 min) | 2% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 37 | The Medical Center of Aurora & South Hospital | Aurora | 134 min (2 h 14 min) | 1% | Very high (60,000 or more) |
| 39 | Boulder Community Health | Boulder | 135 min (2 h 15 min) | 1% | High (40,000–59,999) |
| 39 | Community Hospital | Grand Junction | 135 min (2 h 15 min) | 2% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 41 | Banner North Colorado Medical Center | Greeley | 137 min (2 h 17 min) | 1% | High (40,000–59,999) |
| 42 | Sky Ridge Medical Center | Lone Tree | 139 min (2 h 19 min) | 0% | High (40,000–59,999) |
| 43 | Banner North Co Medical Center - Loveland Campus | Loveland | 140 min (2 h 20 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 43 | Melissa Memorial Hospital | Holyoke | 140 min (2 h 20 min)† | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 45 | Haxtun Hospital District | Haxtun | 141 min (2 h 21 min) | Not reported | — |
| 45 | Pagosa Springs Medical Center | Pagosa Springs | 141 min (2 h 21 min) | 2% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 45 | Vail Health Hospital | Vail | 141 min (2 h 21 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 48 | Delta County Memorial Hospital | Delta | 143 min (2 h 23 min) | 3% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 48 | St Thomas More Hospital | Canon City | 143 min (2 h 23 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 50 | Keefe Memorial Hospital | Cheyenne Wells | 144 min (2 h 24 min)† | Not reported | — |
| 51 | Montrose Regional Health | Montrose | 146 min (2 h 26 min) | 2% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 52 | St Anthony Summit Medical Center | Frisco | 151 min (2 h 31 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 53 | Valley View Hospital Association | Glenwood Springs | 152 min (2 h 32 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 54 | Longmont United Hospital | Longmont | 153 min (2 h 33 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 55 | Southeast Colorado Hospital District | Springfield | 154 min (2 h 34 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 56 | Centura Health-St Anthony North Health Campus | Westminster | 160 min (2 h 40 min) | 1% | High (40,000–59,999) |
| 57 | St Mary-Corwin Hospital | Pueblo | 164 min (2 h 44 min) | 1% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 57 | UCHealth Highlands Ranch Hospital | Highlands Ranch | 164 min (2 h 44 min) | 0% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 59 | AdventHealth Castle Rock | Castle Rock | 165 min (2 h 45 min) | 1% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 59 | AdventHealth Parker | Parker | 165 min (2 h 45 min) | 1% | High (40,000–59,999) |
| 59 | Saint Joseph Hospital | Denver | 165 min (2 h 45 min) | 1% | Very high (60,000 or more) |
| 62 | AdventHealth Avista | Louisville | 166 min (2 h 46 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 62 | AdventHealth Littleton | Littleton | 166 min (2 h 46 min) | 1% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 62 | Intermountain Health Platte Valley Hospital | Brighton | 166 min (2 h 46 min) | 1% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 62 | Mercy Regional Medical Center | Durango | 166 min (2 h 46 min) | 1% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 66 | San Luis Valley Regional Medical Center | Alamosa | 168 min (2 h 48 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 67 | Parkview Medical Center, Inc | Pueblo | 171 min (2 h 51 min) | 2% | Very high (60,000 or more) |
| 68 | Good Samaritan Medical Center LLC | Lafayette | 176 min (2 h 56 min) | 1% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 69 | Rangely District Hospital | Rangely | 182 min (3 h 2 min)† | 2% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 70 | Centura Health-Penrose St Francis Health Services | Colorado Springs | 193 min (3 h 13 min) | 2% | Very high (60,000 or more) |
| 71 | Intermountain Health Lutheran Hospital | Wheat Ridge | 194 min (3 h 14 min) | 1% | High (40,000–59,999) |
| 72 | AdventHealth Porter | Denver | 199 min (3 h 19 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 73 | Intermountain Health St. Mary's Regional Hospital | Grand Junction | 202 min (3 h 22 min) | 2% | High (40,000–59,999) |
| 74 | Denver Health & Hospital Authority | Denver | 208 min (3 h 28 min) | 4% | Very high (60,000 or more) |
| 74 | Eastern Rio Blanco County Health Service District | Meeker | 208 min (3 h 28 min)† | Not reported | — |
| 76 | Centura Health-St Anthony Hospital | Lakewood | 212 min (3 h 32 min) | 1% | High (40,000–59,999) |
† Medicare footnote 3: the result is based on a shorter period than required.
ER wait times by city in Colorado
Common questions
Which ER in Colorado has the shortest wait?
In Medicare's data for October 2024 to September 2025, Rio Grande Hospital had the shortest median time patients spent in the emergency room before going home: 45 minutes. This is the total time of the visit, not the time before seeing a doctor, and it is an average of past patients, not a promise for your visit.
What is the average ER wait time in Colorado?
The middle value of the 76 hospitals listed here is 134.5 minutes. The national figure published by Medicare is 162 minutes. Each hospital's number is the median time from arriving at the emergency room to leaving it, for patients who were treated and went home.
Should I drive to a farther ER to wait less?
No. In an emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. These times are past averages; emergency rooms see the sickest patients first, and minutes lost on the road can matter more than minutes in a waiting room.
Does a shorter time mean a better emergency room?
Not by itself. Busier emergency rooms and hospitals that treat more serious cases usually have longer times, so the ER volume is shown next to each time. The time is one measure among many on each hospital’s page.
Sources and dates
- Timely and Effective Care - Hospital — Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), data updated July 22, 2026, retrieved October 31, 2026. Times: patients seen October 2024 to September 2025; left without being seen: January 2024 to December 2024.
- Timely and Effective Care - National — CMS, data updated July 22, 2026 (the national figures).
Only open hospitals that list an emergency room and report this time are included. The state and city figures are the median of the hospitals listed, calculated by us from the same CMS hospital file. Wording last revised November 11, 2026. Not medical advice.