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Emergency rooms · North Carolina

ER Wait Times in North Carolina: 94 Hospitals Compared

94 hospitals in North Carolina report how long their emergency room patients stay. The middle value here is 187 minutes; national (Medicare): 162 minutes.

In an emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. Do not drive farther to save a few minutes: these are averages of past visits, and the sickest patients are always seen first.

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 North Carolina, 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.

ER wait times in North Carolina
#HospitalCityMedian time in the ERLeft without being seenER volume
1 DLP Swain County Hospital LLC Bryson City 81 min (1 h 21 min) 1% Low (under 20,000)
2 Transylvania Regional Hospital, Inc Brevard 98 min (1 h 38 min) 0% Low (under 20,000)
3 Firsthealth Montgomery Memorial Hosp Troy 99 min (1 h 39 min) Not reported —
4 Highlands Cashiers Hospital Highlands 104 min (1 h 44 min) 0% Low (under 20,000)
5 Charles a Cannon Jr Memorial Hospital Linville 112 min (1 h 52 min) 0% Low (under 20,000)
6 Blue Ridge Regional Hospital Spruce Pine 115 min (1 h 55 min) 0% Low (under 20,000)
7 Atrium Health Anson Wadesboro 118 min (1 h 58 min) 1% Low (under 20,000)
8 Angel Medical Center Franklin 120 min (2 h) 0% Medium (20,000–39,999)
9 J Arthur Dosher Memorial Hospital Southport 122 min (2 h 2 min) 1% Low (under 20,000)
10 Sampson Regional Medical Center Clinton 127 min (2 h 7 min) 1% Medium (20,000–39,999)
11 Atrium Health Union Monroe 132 min (2 h 12 min) 1% Very high (60,000 or more)
12 Advent Health Polk Columbus 136 min (2 h 16 min) Not reported —
13 Vidant Roanoke Chowan Hospital Ahoskie 140 min (2 h 20 min) 2% Medium (20,000–39,999)
14 Rutherford Regional Medical Center Rutherfordton 144 min (2 h 24 min) 0% Medium (20,000–39,999)
14 Stanly Regional Medical Center Albemarle 144 min (2 h 24 min) 1% Medium (20,000–39,999)
14 The McDowell Hospital Marion 144 min (2 h 24 min) 1% Medium (20,000–39,999)
17 Atrium Health University City Charlotte 148 min (2 h 28 min) 2% Very high (60,000 or more)
17 Sentara Albemarle Medical Center Elizabeth City 148 min (2 h 28 min) 3% High (40,000–59,999)
19 Lexington Memorial Hospital Inc Lexington 154 min (2 h 34 min) 2% Medium (20,000–39,999)
20 Pardee Hospital Henderson County Hendersonville 158 min (2 h 38 min) 5% Medium (20,000–39,999)
21 Atrium Health Cleveland Shelby 160 min (2 h 40 min) 2% Very high (60,000 or more)
21 Atrium Health Pineville Charlotte 160 min (2 h 40 min) 2% Very high (60,000 or more)
23 Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center Charlotte 162 min (2 h 42 min) 2% Very high (60,000 or more)
24 Memorial Mission Hospital and Asheville Surgery Ce… Asheville 163 min (2 h 43 min) 0% Very high (60,000 or more)
25 AdventHealth Hendersonville Hendersonville 164 min (2 h 44 min) 1% Medium (20,000–39,999)
25 Vidant Chowan Hospital Edenton 164 min (2 h 44 min) 1% Low (under 20,000)
25 Wilkes Regional Medical Center North Wilkesboro 164 min (2 h 44 min) 3% Medium (20,000–39,999)
28 ECU Health Bertie Hospital Windsor 166 min (2 h 46 min) 2% Low (under 20,000)
28 Womack AMC (FT Bragg) Fort Bragg 166 min (2 h 46 min) Not reported —
30 Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital Elkin 168 min (2 h 48 min) 0% Medium (20,000–39,999)
30 Maria Parham Medical Center Henderson 168 min (2 h 48 min) 2% High (40,000–59,999)
32 Vidant Duplin Hospital Kenansville 170 min (2 h 50 min) 3% Medium (20,000–39,999)
33 Central Carolina Hospital Sanford 172 min (2 h 52 min) 3% Medium (20,000–39,999)
34 Blue Ridge Healthcare Hospitals, Inc Morganton 173 min (2 h 53 min) 3% High (40,000–59,999)
35 Frye Regional Medical Center Hickory 174 min (2 h 54 min) 2% Medium (20,000–39,999)
35 Harris Regional Hospital Sylva 174 min (2 h 54 min) 3% Medium (20,000–39,999)
37 Novant Health Thomasville Medical Center Thomasville 176 min (2 h 56 min) 2% Medium (20,000–39,999)
38 Atrium Health Lincoln Lincolnton 177 min (2 h 57 min) 3% High (40,000–59,999)
38 Columbus Regional Healthcare System Whiteville 177 min (2 h 57 min) 3% Medium (20,000–39,999)
38 Erlanger Murphy Medical Center Murphy 177 min (2 h 57 min) 3% Low (under 20,000)
41 Ashe Memorial Hospital Jefferson 178 min (2 h 58 min) 3% Low (under 20,000)
42 Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center Supply 181 min (3 h 1 min) 2% Medium (20,000–39,999)
43 North Carolina Baptist Hospital Winston-Salem 183 min (3 h 3 min) 4% Very high (60,000 or more)
44 Carolinas Medical Center-Northeast Concord 186 min (3 h 6 min) 1% Very high (60,000 or more)
44 Iredell Memorial Hospital Inc Statesville 186 min (3 h 6 min) 2% High (40,000–59,999)
46 Johnston Health Smithfield 187 min (3 h 7 min) 4% Very high (60,000 or more)
46 Onslow Memorial Hospital Jacksonville 187 min (3 h 7 min) 4% High (40,000–59,999)
46 UNC Rockingham Eden 187 min (3 h 7 min) 2% Medium (20,000–39,999)
49 Duke Health Lake Norman Hospital Mooresville 190 min (3 h 10 min) 2% Medium (20,000–39,999)
49 Novant Health Mint Hill Medical Center Charlotte 190 min (3 h 10 min) 1% Medium (20,000–39,999)
49 UNC Health Care Wayne Goldsboro 190 min (3 h 10 min) 2% Very high (60,000 or more)
52 Granville Health Systems Oxford 191 min (3 h 11 min) 3% Medium (20,000–39,999)
52 Wilson Medical Center Wilson 191 min (3 h 11 min) 5% Medium (20,000–39,999)
54 CaroMont Regional Medical Center Gastonia 192 min (3 h 12 min) 1% Very high (60,000 or more)
54 Northern Regional Hospital Mount Airy 192 min (3 h 12 min) 2% Medium (20,000–39,999)
54 Novant Health Ballantyne Medical Center Charlotte 192 min (3 h 12 min) 2% Low (under 20,000)
54 Person Memorial Hospital Roxboro 192 min (3 h 12 min) 2% Low (under 20,000)
54 Watauga Medical Center Boone 192 min (3 h 12 min) 1% Medium (20,000–39,999)
59 Cape Fear Valley-Bladen County Hospital Elizabethtown 193 min (3 h 13 min) 5% Low (under 20,000)
59 Haywood Regional Medical Center Clyde 193 min (3 h 13 min) 2% Medium (20,000–39,999)
61 UNC Lenoir Health Care Kinston 194 min (3 h 14 min) 1% High (40,000–59,999)
62 Scotland Memorial Hospital Laurinburg 195 min (3 h 15 min) 4% High (40,000–59,999)
63 Carolinas Medical Center/Behav Health Charlotte 196 min (3 h 16 min) 2% Very high (60,000 or more)
63 Wakemed, Cary Hospital Cary 196 min (3 h 16 min) 2% Very high (60,000 or more)
65 UNC Health Nash Rocky Mount 200 min (3 h 20 min) 2% Very high (60,000 or more)
66 Firsthealth Moore Regional Hospital Pinehurst 201 min (3 h 21 min) 4% Very high (60,000 or more)
66 NMC Camp Lejeune Camp Lejeune 201 min (3 h 21 min) 3% High (40,000–59,999)
68 Rex Hospital Raleigh 202 min (3 h 22 min) 1% Very high (60,000 or more)
69 Novant Health Huntersville Medical Center Huntersville 204 min (3 h 24 min) 3% High (40,000–59,999)
69 Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center Wilmington 204 min (3 h 24 min) 2% Very high (60,000 or more)
69 Wakemed, Raleigh Campus Raleigh 204 min (3 h 24 min) 3% Very high (60,000 or more)
72 Caldwell Memorial Hospital Lenoir 205 min (3 h 25 min) 2% Medium (20,000–39,999)
72 Cape Fear Valley Hoke Hospital Raeford 205 min (3 h 25 min) 3% High (40,000–59,999)
72 Novant Health Rowan Medical Center Salisbury 205 min (3 h 25 min) 1% High (40,000–59,999)
75 Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center Winston-Salem 206 min (3 h 26 min) 1% Very high (60,000 or more)
76 The Outer Banks Hospital, Inc Nags Head 208 min (3 h 28 min) 2% Medium (20,000–39,999)
77 Betsy Johnson Regional Hospital Dunn 210 min (3 h 30 min) 5% High (40,000–59,999)
78 ECU Health North Hospital Roanoke Rapids 212 min (3 h 32 min) 3% Medium (20,000–39,999)
79 Cape Fear Valley Medical Center Fayetteville 216 min (3 h 36 min) 1% Very high (60,000 or more)
79 Carolina East Medical Center New Bern 216 min (3 h 36 min) 2% Very high (60,000 or more)
79 Randolph Hospital Asheboro 216 min (3 h 36 min) 6% Medium (20,000–39,999)
82 Chatham Hospital Inc Siler City 222 min (3 h 42 min) Not reported —
83 The Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital Greensboro 224 min (3 h 44 min) 3% Very high (60,000 or more)
84 Carteret General Hospital Morehead City 225 min (3 h 45 min) 2% High (40,000–59,999)
85 Alamance Regional Medical Center Burlington 228 min (3 h 48 min) 4% Very high (60,000 or more)
85 Catawba Valley Medical Center Hickory 228 min (3 h 48 min) 5% High (40,000–59,999)
87 Vidant Edgecombe Hospital Tarboro 239 min (3 h 59 min) 4% Medium (20,000–39,999)
88 Novant Health Matthews Medical Center Matthews 244 min (4 h 4 min) 2% Medium (20,000–39,999)
89 High Point Regional Health System High Point 247 min (4 h 7 min) 2% High (40,000–59,999)
90 Southeastern Regional Medical Center Lumberton 248 min (4 h 8 min) 2% High (40,000–59,999)
91 Duke Regional Hospital Durham 255 min (4 h 15 min) 3% Very high (60,000 or more)
92 UNC Hospitals Chapel Hill 268 min (4 h 28 min) 4% Very high (60,000 or more)
93 ECU Health Medical Center Greenville 289 min (4 h 49 min) 3% Very high (60,000 or more)
94 Duke University Hospital Durham 317 min (5 h 17 min) 5% Very high (60,000 or more)

ER wait times by city in North Carolina

Best-rated hospitals in North Carolina ER wait times, every state ERs near me ER or urgent care? Best-rated care by city

Common questions

Which ER in North Carolina has the shortest wait?

In Medicare's data for October 2024 to September 2025, DLP Swain County Hospital LLC had the shortest median time patients spent in the emergency room before going home: 81 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 North Carolina?

The middle value of the 94 hospitals listed here is 187 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

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.