ER Wait Times in Kentucky: 82 Hospitals Compared
82 hospitals in Kentucky report how long their emergency room patients stay. The middle value here is 140 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 Kentucky, 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 | Arh Our Lady of the Way | Martin | 84 min (1 h 24 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 2 | McDowell Arh Hospital | McDowell | 86 min (1 h 26 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 3 | Bluegrass Community Hospital | Versailles | 92 min (1 h 32 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 3 | Marshall County Hospital | Benton | 92 min (1 h 32 min)† | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 5 | Cumberland County Hospital | Burkesville | 93 min (1 h 33 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 6 | Casey County Hospital | Liberty | 94 min (1 h 34 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 7 | The James B. Haggin Memorial Hospital | Harrodsburg | 99 min (1 h 39 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 8 | Breckinridge Memorial Hospital | Hardinsburg | 100 min (1 h 40 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 8 | Mary Breckinridge Arh Hospital | Hyden | 100 min (1 h 40 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 10 | Ephraim McDowell Fort Logan Hospital | Stanford | 101 min (1 h 41 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 11 | St Elizabeth Grant | Williamstown | 102 min (1 h 42 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 12 | Bourbon Community Hospital | Paris | 105 min (1 h 45 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 12 | Carroll County Memorial Hospital | Carrollton | 105 min (1 h 45 min)† | Not reported | — |
| 14 | Livingston Hospital and Healthcare Services, Inc | Salem | 106 min (1 h 46 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 15 | Ohio County Hospital | Hartford | 107 min (1 h 47 min) | Not reported | — |
| 16 | Methodist Hospital Union County | Morganfield | 112 min (1 h 52 min) | Not reported | — |
| 17 | TJ Health Columbia | Columbia | 114 min (1 h 54 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 18 | Owensboro Health Twin Lakes Medical Center | Leitchfield | 115 min (1 h 55 min) | 1% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 19 | Uofl Health - Shelbyville Hospital | Shelbyville | 117 min (1 h 57 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 20 | Kentucky River Medical Center | Jackson | 123 min (2 h 3 min) | Not reported | — |
| 21 | CHI Saint Joseph Berea NF | Berea | 126 min (2 h 6 min) | 1% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 22 | Deaconess Henderson Hospital | Henderson | 127 min (2 h 7 min) | 2% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 23 | Marcum and Wallace Memorial Hospital | Irvine | 128 min (2 h 8 min) | 2% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 23 | Monroe County Medical Center | Tompkinsville | 128 min (2 h 8 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 23 | Morgan County Arh Hospital | West Liberty | 128 min (2 h 8 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 23 | Saint Joseph Hospital | Lexington | 128 min (2 h 8 min) | 1% | High (40,000–59,999) |
| 23 | The Medical Center at Russellville | Russellville | 128 min (2 h 8 min) | 2% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 28 | AdventHealthManchester | Manchester | 130 min (2 h 10 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 29 | Saint Joseph East | Lexington | 131 min (2 h 11 min) | 1% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 30 | Jackson Purchase Medical Center | Mayfield | 132 min (2 h 12 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 30 | Pineville Community Health Center, Inc | Pineville | 132 min (2 h 12 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 30 | St Elizabeth Edgewood | Edgewood | 132 min (2 h 12 min) | 1% | Very high (60,000 or more) |
| 33 | Jane Todd Crawford Hospital | Greensburg | 134 min (2 h 14 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 33 | Saint Joseph Mount Sterling | Mount Sterling | 134 min (2 h 14 min) | 0% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 35 | Knox County Hospital | Barbourville | 137 min (2 h 17 min) | 2% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 35 | Rockcastle County Hospital, Inc. | Mount Vernon | 137 min (2 h 17 min) | 2% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 37 | Baptist Health Lagrange | La Grange | 138 min (2 h 18 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 37 | Taylor Regional Hospital | Campbellsville | 138 min (2 h 18 min) | 2% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 37 | UOFL HEALTH - JEWISH HOSPITAL and Mary & Elizabeth Hospital | Louisville | 138 min (2 h 18 min) | 3% | Very high (60,000 or more) |
| 40 | Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center | Danville | 139 min (2 h 19 min) | 2% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 40 | Georgetown Community Hospital | Georgetown | 139 min (2 h 19 min) | 1% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 42 | Trigg County Hospital | Cadiz | 141 min (2 h 21 min) | Not reported | — |
| 43 | St Elizabeth Ft Thomas | Fort Thomas | 144 min (2 h 24 min) | 1% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 44 | Owensboro Health Muhlenberg Community Hospital | Greenville | 148 min (2 h 28 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 44 | Tristar Greenview Regional Hospital | Bowling Green | 148 min (2 h 28 min) | 1% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 46 | CHI Saint Joseph Flaget Memorial Hospital | Bardstown | 149 min (2 h 29 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 46 | Meadowview Regional Medical Center | Maysville | 149 min (2 h 29 min) | 4% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 48 | Blanchfield ACH (FT Campbell) | Fort Campbell | 154 min (2 h 34 min) | 3% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 48 | Spring View Hospital | Lebanon | 154 min (2 h 34 min) | 2% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 50 | Baptist Health Richmond | Richmond | 156 min (2 h 36 min) | 1% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 51 | St Elizabeth Florence | Florence | 158 min (2 h 38 min) | 1% | High (40,000–59,999) |
| 52 | Murray-Calloway County Hospital | Murray | 159 min (2 h 39 min) | 2% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 53 | Whitesburg Arh Hospital | Whitesburg | 160 min (2 h 40 min) | 2% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 54 | Frankfort Regional Medical Center | Frankfort | 163 min (2 h 43 min) | 1% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 55 | Three Rivers Medical Center | Louisa | 164 min (2 h 44 min) | 2% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 56 | Paintsville Arh Hospital | Paintsville | 165 min (2 h 45 min) | 4% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 57 | Middlesboro Arh Hospital | Middlesboro | 166 min (2 h 46 min) | 3% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 58 | Jennie Stuart Medical Center | Hopkinsville | 167 min (2 h 47 min) | 2% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 59 | Tug Valley Arh Regional Medical Center | South Williamson | 168 min (2 h 48 min) | 3% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 60 | Harrison Memorial Hospital | Cynthiana | 171 min (2 h 51 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 61 | Mercy Health - Lourdes Hospital | Paducah | 173 min (2 h 53 min) | 1% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 62 | Hazard Arh Regional Medical Center | Hazard | 174 min (2 h 54 min) | 2% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 63 | St Claire Regional Medical Center | Morehead | 178 min (2 h 58 min) | 3% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 64 | Clark Regional Medical Center | Winchester | 179 min (2 h 59 min) | 1% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 65 | Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital | Somerset | 180 min (3 h) | 1% | High (40,000–59,999) |
| 66 | Baptist Health Hardin | Elizabethtown | 183 min (3 h 3 min) | 2% | Very high (60,000 or more) |
| 66 | Baptist Health Lexington | Lexington | 183 min (3 h 3 min) | 0% | Very high (60,000 or more) |
| 68 | Baptist Health Paducah | Paducah | 184 min (3 h 4 min) | 1% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 69 | Saint Joseph London | London | 185 min (3 h 5 min) | 1% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 70 | Baptist Health Deaconess Madisonville | Madisonville | 190 min (3 h 10 min) | 1% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 70 | Highlands Arh Regional Medical Center | Prestonsburg | 190 min (3 h 10 min) | 2% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 72 | Baptist Health Louisville | Louisville | 191 min (3 h 11 min) | 1% | High (40,000–59,999) |
| 73 | Norton Hospitals, Inc | Louisville | 192 min (3 h 12 min) | 3% | Very high (60,000 or more) |
| 74 | T J Samson Community Hospital | Glasgow | 194 min (3 h 14 min) | 4% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 75 | Harlan Arh Hospital | Harlan | 196 min (3 h 16 min) | 2% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 76 | University of Louisville Hospital | Louisville | 198 min (3 h 18 min) | 3% | High (40,000–59,999) |
| 77 | Baptist Health Corbin | Corbin | 206 min (3 h 26 min) | 1% | High (40,000–59,999) |
| 78 | Owensboro Health Regional Hospital | Owensboro | 208 min (3 h 28 min) | 4% | High (40,000–59,999) |
| 79 | The Medical Center (Bowling Green) | Bowling Green | 215 min (3 h 35 min) | 3% | High (40,000–59,999) |
| 80 | University of Kentucky Hospital | Lexington | 218 min (3 h 38 min) | 1% | Very high (60,000 or more) |
| 81 | Pikeville Medical Center | Pikeville | 226 min (3 h 46 min) | 5% | High (40,000–59,999) |
| 82 | King's Daughters' Medical Center | Ashland | 232 min (3 h 52 min) | 1% | Very high (60,000 or more) |
† Medicare footnote 3: the result is based on a shorter period than required.
ER wait times by city in Kentucky
Common questions
Which ER in Kentucky has the shortest wait?
In Medicare's data for October 2024 to September 2025, Arh Our Lady of the Way had the shortest median time patients spent in the emergency room before going home: 84 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 Kentucky?
The middle value of the 82 hospitals listed here is 140 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.