St. Joe's ER Wait Times (St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton)
St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton publishes wait times for 1 hospital ER plus 1 urgent care centre. We are an independent site, not affiliated with St. Joe's: we show its numbers as published and link to the official page.
2 of 2 reportingSource: official sources
Right now· Average wait to see a doctor (last 6 hours)
1 of 1 ERs reporting
St. Joe's emergency wait times right now
Hamilton
- OpenUrgent care
King Campus Urgent Care, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton
Hamilton
Average wait to see a doctor (last 6 hours)
1 hour 0 minutesShorter wait
- Open today 8 am – 10 pm
- Treats: All ages
OpenERSt. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Charlton Campus
Hamilton
Average wait to see a doctor (last 6 hours)
1 hour 16 minutesShorter wait
- Open 24 hours
- Treats: 18+
How St. Joe's calculates its wait times
“Average wait to see a doctor (last 6 hours)”
The length of time between when you arrive to the front desk to check in and when you see a doctor. It is calculated by averaging the time that each patient has waited over the last six hours and is updated automatically every 15 minutes. Patients are triaged with the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale and the sickest are seen first, so your own wait may be shorter or longer.
People with the most urgent needs are always seen first, so your own wait may be shorter or longer. Hamilton Emergency Wait Times’s definition
Ontario ER wait times by city
About St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton
St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, known as St. Joe's or SJHH, is an academic hospital and a division of St. Joseph's Health System. The Sisters of St. Joseph came to Hamilton in 1852, and the hospital's history page dates its first 25-bed hospital, on John Street, to 1890. Its financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025 describe an 804-bed multi-site acute care hospital, specializing in mental health, dialysis, oncology and cataract surgeries, and the regional centre for kidney transplants. It has three campuses: Charlton, at 50 Charlton Avenue East; West 5th, at 100 West 5th Street; and King, at 2757 King Street East.
The emergency department is at the Charlton Campus, open 24 hours a day, and the King Campus has an urgent care centre open 8 am to 10 pm daily. St. Joe's and Hamilton Health Sciences post their emergency waits together on hamiltonemergencywaittimes.ca, as an average over the last six hours.
Sources: stjoes.ca, stjoes.ca (PDF), stjoes.ca 2, stjoes.ca 3, hamiltonemergencywaittimes.ca, Wikipedia
ER, urgent care or walk-in clinic?
Emergency department
Serious problems that need a hospital, any time: broken bones, deep cuts, severe pain, or a fever in a baby under 3 months.
Urgent care
Problems that are not life-threatening but need care today: sprains, minor cuts and burns, infections. Hours are often limited.
Walk-in clinics
Minor problems such as colds, sore throats, rashes or prescription refills are often quicker here.
Not sure where to go?
Call Health811 at 811 to talk to a nurse. About Health811
Call 911
Chest pain or pressure, signs of a stroke, severe bleeding, trouble breathing, a serious injury, or someone who will not wake up.
St. Joe's wait time questions
What are St. Joe's ER wait times right now?
At 8:25 pm EDT, the shortest published ER wait was St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Charlton Campus at 1 hour 16 minutes. The median across 1 reporting ERs was 1 hour 16 minutes. Numbers change through the day, so check the list above before you go.
How are St. Joe's emerg wait times calculated?
Hamilton Emergency Wait Times publishes "Average wait to see a doctor (last 6 hours)": The length of time between when you arrive to the front desk to check in and when you see a doctor. It is calculated by averaging the time that each patient has waited over the last six hours and is updated automatically every 15 minutes. Patients are triaged with the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale and the sickest are seen first, so your own wait may be shorter or longer.
These measures can differ in their starting point and statistic. Compare estimates within the same measurement group. Patients with the most urgent needs are seen first.
Source: Hamilton Emergency Wait Times
How often are St. Joe's ER wait times updated?
Providers publish estimates on different schedules. Our checks are separate from those updates, and the displayed number may stay the same after a check. Each listing shows its available timestamp; check the source-specific frequencies below.
| Source | Provider updates | Our checks |
|---|---|---|
| Hamilton Emergency Wait Times | About every 15 minutes | Every 5 minutes |
Does St. Joe's publish a wait for every site?
Yes. Every ER and urgent care centre listed on this page has a published wait estimate.
Should I go to a St. Joe's urgent care centre or the ER?
Hamilton's hospitals suggest an urgent care centre for cuts or wounds that may need stitches, sprains, strains or deep bruises, mild to moderate asthma attacks, ear, urinary tract and upper respiratory infections, coughs and congestion, diarrhea, sore throats, insect bites and rashes. Go to an emergency department for severe bleeding, trouble breathing, chest pain or pressure, broken bones, a partial or full amputation, a head injury, sudden dizziness or trouble seeing, or severe abdominal pain. If it is life-threatening, call 911.
Does St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton offer virtual urgent care?
Yes, for adults 18 and older with an urgent medical problem that is not life-threatening. You request an appointment online through Urgent Care Ontario and see a provider over secure video, first come, first served, 7 days a week, with one issue per visit. It is not for emergencies: call 911.
Source: Hamilton Emergency Wait Times
How do I share feedback about my care at St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton?
Contact St. Joseph's Patient Relations office, which can also give you wait-time information in another language. For care at a Hamilton Health Sciences hospital, contact its Patient Experience office instead.
Source: Hamilton Emergency Wait Times
Is this the official St. Joe's website?
No. ERWaitTimes.ca is an independent site, not affiliated with St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton. We regularly check the official estimates and link to the source. The update-frequency table above describes each feed.
Photo credits (1)
- St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Charlton Campus: photo by Nhl4hamilton (Rick Cordeiro), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Medical emergency? Call 911 now.
Do not check wait times or drive yourself if you have chest pain, signs of a stroke, severe bleeding or trouble breathing. Paramedics can start treatment on the way to hospital.