Emergency rooms · Wisconsin
ER Wait Times in Wisconsin: 117 Hospitals Compared
117 hospitals in Wisconsin report how long their emergency room patients stay. The middle value here is 136 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 Wisconsin, 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 | Edgerton Hospital and Health Services | Edgerton | 71 min (1 h 11 min) | Not reported | — |
| 2 | Gundersen Moundview Hospital and Clinics | Friendship | 73 min (1 h 13 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 3 | Ascension Wisconsin Hosp Menomonee Falls Campus | Menomonee Falls | 75 min (1 h 15 min) | Not reported | — |
| 4 | Mayo Clinic Hlth Systm Franciscan Hlthcare Sparta | Sparta | 77 min (1 h 17 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 5 | Chippewa Valley Hospital | Durand | 78 min (1 h 18 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 6 | Marshfield Medical Center - Ladysmith | Ladysmith | 83 min (1 h 23 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 6 | Thedacare Medical Center - New London | New London | 83 min (1 h 23 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 8 | Ascension Calumet Hospital | Chilton | 86 min (1 h 26 min) | Not reported | — |
| 9 | Bellin Health Oconto Hospital | Oconto | 87 min (1 h 27 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 10 | Aspirus Eagle River Hospital | Eagle River | 89 min (1 h 29 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 11 | River Falls Area Hospital | River Falls | 96 min (1 h 36 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 12 | HSHS St Clare Memorial Hospital | Oconto Falls | 97 min (1 h 37 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 13 | Richland Hospital | Richland Center | 100 min (1 h 40 min) | Not reported | — |
| 14 | Black River Memorial Hospital | Black River Falls | 102 min (1 h 42 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 14 | Flambeau Hospital | Park Falls | 102 min (1 h 42 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 14 | St Marys Hospital Medical Ctr | Green Bay | 102 min (1 h 42 min) | 0% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 17 | Lafayette Hospital and Clinics | Darlington | 106 min (1 h 46 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 18 | Thedacare Medical Center - Shawano | Shawano | 108 min (1 h 48 min) | 1% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 18 | Westfields Hospital and Clinic | New Richmond | 108 min (1 h 48 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 20 | Mayo Clinic Health System-Northland | Barron | 109 min (1 h 49 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 20 | Spooner Health System | Spooner | 109 min (1 h 49 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 20 | Tomah Memorial Hospital | Tomah | 109 min (1 h 49 min) | Not reported | — |
| 23 | Thedacare Medical Center - Berlin Inc | Berlin | 110 min (1 h 50 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 24 | Western Wisconsin Health | Baldwin | 111 min (1 h 51 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 25 | Aurora Medical Ctr Manitowoc County | Two Rivers | 112 min (1 h 52 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 25 | Marshfield Medical Center - Neillsville | Neillsville | 112 min (1 h 52 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 27 | Upland Hills Health | Dodgeville | 113 min (1 h 53 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 28 | SSM Health St Clare Hospital - Baraboo | Baraboo | 114 min (1 h 54 min) | 0% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 29 | Indianhead Medical Ctr | Shell Lake | 115 min (1 h 55 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 30 | Gundersen Boscobel Area Hospital and Clinics | Boscobel | 116 min (1 h 56 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 30 | Southwest Health Center | Platteville | 116 min (1 h 56 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 32 | Hudson Hospital | Hudson | 117 min (1 h 57 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 33 | Cumberland Memorial Hospital | Cumberland | 119 min (1 h 59 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 34 | Amery Hospital & Clinic | Amery | 120 min (2 h) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 34 | Gundersen Tri-County Hospital & Clinics | Whitehall | 120 min (2 h) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 34 | Thedacare Medical Center-Waupaca | Waupaca | 120 min (2 h) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 34 | Watertown Memorial Hospital | Watertown | 120 min (2 h) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 38 | Aspirus Tomahawk Hospital | Tomahawk | 121 min (2 h 1 min) | 3% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 38 | Gundersen St Josephs Hospital and Clinics | Hillsboro | 121 min (2 h 1 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 38 | Thedacare Medical Center - Wild Rose | Wild Rose | 121 min (2 h 1 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 41 | Aurora Medical Ctr Oshkosh | Oshkosh | 122 min (2 h 2 min) | 0% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 41 | St Nicholas Hospital | Sheboygan | 122 min (2 h 2 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 43 | Aspirus Merrill Hospital | Merrill | 123 min (2 h 3 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 44 | Ascension SE Wisconsin Hospital | Milwaukee | 124 min (2 h 4 min) | Not reported | — |
| 44 | Mile Bluff Medical Center | Mauston | 124 min (2 h 4 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 44 | St Marys Hospital Superior | Superior | 124 min (2 h 4 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 44 | Tamarack Health Ashland Medical Center | Ashland | 124 min (2 h 4 min) | 1% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 48 | Froedtert Community Hospital | New Berlin | 125 min (2 h 5 min) | 1% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 49 | Mercy Walworth Hospital & Medical Center | Lake Geneva | 126 min (2 h 6 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 50 | Aurora Medical Ctr Washington County | Hartford | 127 min (2 h 7 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 51 | Aurora Medical Center Bay Area | Marinette | 129 min (2 h 9 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 51 | Beloit Health System | Beloit | 129 min (2 h 9 min) | 0% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 53 | Aurora BayCare Medical Ctr | Green Bay | 133 min (2 h 13 min) | 1% | Very high (60,000 or more) |
| 53 | Mayo Clinic Health System-Red Cedar Inc | Menomonie | 133 min (2 h 13 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 53 | St Vincent Hospital | Green Bay | 133 min (2 h 13 min) | 0% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 56 | Mayo Clinic Health System-Franciscan Medical Center Inc | La Crosse | 134 min (2 h 14 min) | 2% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 57 | Ascension St Francis Hospital | Milwaukee | 136 min (2 h 16 min) | Not reported | — |
| 57 | Mayo Clinic Health System Oakridge | Osseo | 136 min (2 h 16 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 57 | Oconomowoc Memorial Hospital | Oconomowoc | 136 min (2 h 16 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 60 | Reedsburg Area Medical Center | Reedsburg | 137 min (2 h 17 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 61 | Columbus Community Hospital | Columbus | 138 min (2 h 18 min) | Not reported | — |
| 61 | Holy Family Memorial | Manitowoc | 138 min (2 h 18 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 61 | SSM Health St Mary's Hospital - Janesville | Janesville | 138 min (2 h 18 min) | 0% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 61 | Vernon Memorial Hospital | Viroqua | 138 min (2 h 18 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 65 | Waupun Memorial Hospital | Waupun | 139 min (2 h 19 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 66 | Waukesha Memorial Hospital | Waukesha | 140 min (2 h 20 min) | 0% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 67 | Aurora Medical Center - Summit | Summit | 142 min (2 h 22 min) | 0% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 67 | Mayo Clinic Health System Chippewa Valley | Bloomer | 142 min (2 h 22 min) | 2% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 67 | Thedacare Regional Med Ctr - Neenah | Neenah | 142 min (2 h 22 min) | 2% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 67 | UnityPoint Health - Meriter | Madison | 142 min (2 h 22 min) | 2% | High (40,000–59,999) |
| 71 | Ascension NE Wisconsin - St Elizabeth Campus | Appleton | 143 min (2 h 23 min) | Not reported | — |
| 71 | Marshfield Medical Center - Weston | Weston | 143 min (2 h 23 min) | 2% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 73 | Door County Medical Center | Sturgeon Bay | 144 min (2 h 24 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 73 | St Croix Regional Medical Center | Saint Croix Falls | 144 min (2 h 24 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 75 | Aurora Lakeland Medical Center | Elkhorn | 145 min (2 h 25 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 75 | The Monroe Clinic | Monroe | 145 min (2 h 25 min) | 0% | High (40,000–59,999) |
| 77 | Ascension All Saints Hospital | Racine | 146 min (2 h 26 min) | Not reported | — |
| 77 | Ripon Medical Center | Ripon | 146 min (2 h 26 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 79 | Thedacare Regional Medical Center - Appleton Inc | Appleton | 147 min (2 h 27 min) | 2% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 80 | Aspirus Stevens Point Hospital & Clinics, Inc. | Stevens Point | 148 min (2 h 28 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 80 | Grant Regional Health Center | Lancaster | 148 min (2 h 28 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 80 | Langlade Hospital | Antigo | 148 min (2 h 28 min) | 2% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 83 | SSM Health St Agnes Hospital-Fond Du Lac | Fond Du Lac | 150 min (2 h 30 min) | 1% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 84 | Bellin Memorial Hospital | Green Bay | 151 min (2 h 31 min) | 2% | High (40,000–59,999) |
| 85 | Sauk Prairie Hospital | Prairie Du Sac | 152 min (2 h 32 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 85 | Tamarack Health Hayward Medical Center | Hayward | 152 min (2 h 32 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 87 | Aspirus Divine Savior Hospital | Portage | 153 min (2 h 33 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 88 | Aspirus Medford Hospital & Clinics, Inc | Medford | 154 min (2 h 34 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 88 | Stoughton Hospital | Stoughton | 154 min (2 h 34 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 90 | Aspirus Wausau Hospital | Wausau | 157 min (2 h 37 min) | 4% | High (40,000–59,999) |
| 90 | Froedtert South Inc. | Kenosha | 157 min (2 h 37 min) | 1% | High (40,000–59,999) |
| 92 | Mercy Health System Corp | Janesville | 161 min (2 h 41 min) | 3% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 93 | Aspirus Rhinelander Hospital | Rhinelander | 162 min (2 h 42 min) | 3% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 93 | Aspirus Riverview Hospital & Clinics Inc | Wisconsin Rapids | 162 min (2 h 42 min) | 4% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 93 | Crossing Rivers Health Medical Center | Prairie Du Chien | 162 min (2 h 42 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 96 | Aspirus Stanley Hospital | Stanley | 163 min (2 h 43 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 96 | Howard Young Medical Center | Woodruff | 163 min (2 h 43 min) | 2% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 98 | Marshfield Medical Center | Marshfield | 166 min (2 h 46 min) | 0% | High (40,000–59,999) |
| 99 | Ascension Columbia St Marys Hospital Milwaukee | Milwaukee | 167 min (2 h 47 min) | Not reported | — |
| 99 | Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center | La Crosse | 167 min (2 h 47 min) | 1% | Very high (60,000 or more) |
| 101 | Marshfield Medical Center - Rice Lake | Rice Lake | 168 min (2 h 48 min) | 2% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 102 | Fort Memorial Hospital | Fort Atkinson | 171 min (2 h 51 min) | 1% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 103 | Aurora St Lukes Medical Center | Milwaukee | 172 min (2 h 52 min) | 6% | Very high (60,000 or more) |
| 104 | Aurora Medical Center Sheboygan County | Sheboygan | 173 min (2 h 53 min) | 1% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 105 | Marshfield Medical Center - Minocqua | Minocqua | 174 min (2 h 54 min) | 1% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 106 | Mayo Clinic Health System Eau Claire Hospital | Eau Claire | 178 min (2 h 58 min) | 2% | High (40,000–59,999) |
| 107 | Aurora Medical Center Kenosha | Kenosha | 179 min (2 h 59 min) | 3% | Very high (60,000 or more) |
| 108 | Aurora Memorial Hospital Burlington | Burlington | 182 min (3 h 2 min) | 2% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 108 | West Allis Memorial Hospital | West Allis | 182 min (3 h 2 min) | 3% | High (40,000–59,999) |
| 110 | Marshfield Medical Center - Beaver Dam (MMC-BD) | Beaver Dam | 183 min (3 h 3 min) | 0% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 111 | Aurora Medical Center | Grafton | 188 min (3 h 8 min) | 2% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 112 | SSM Health St Mary's Hospital - Madison | Madison | 190 min (3 h 10 min) | 3% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 113 | Marshfield Medical Center - Eau Claire | Eau Claire | 192 min (3 h 12 min) | 5% | Low (under 20,000) |
| 114 | St Josephs Community Hospital West Bend | West Bend | 211 min (3 h 31 min) | 2% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 115 | University of WI Hospitals & Clinics Authority | Madison | 214 min (3 h 34 min) | 1% | Very high (60,000 or more) |
| 116 | Community Memorial Hospital | Menomonee Falls | 219 min (3 h 39 min) | 2% | Medium (20,000–39,999) |
| 117 | Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital | Milwaukee | 275 min (4 h 35 min) | 6% | Very high (60,000 or more) |
ER wait times by city in Wisconsin
Common questions
Which ER in Wisconsin has the shortest wait?
In Medicare's data for October 2024 to September 2025, Edgerton Hospital and Health Services had the shortest median time patients spent in the emergency room before going home: 71 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 Wisconsin?
The middle value of the 117 hospitals listed here is 136 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.