Foothills Medical Centre ER Wait Times Calgary AB
Calgary, Alberta · ER
Wait times last updated · 3 hours ago
Official / estimated
Official ER wait
Source: Alberta Health Services (albertahealthservices.ca) · reported 3h ago · checked 3h ago · view source
Recent wait reports submitted by visitors
What people who waited here actually experienced, newest first.
No wait reports yet. Be the first to submit one.
Submit a past wait time
Already waited and been seen? Tell others how long it took.
Reported by visitors
Last report: no reports yet · Updated live from visitor submissions.
Best time to visit the ER at Foothills Medical Centre
Not enough history yet to call a best time.
This pattern is built from the waits we record at Foothills Medical Centre around the clock. It appears once every hour of the day has several readings behind it, rather than guessing from a thin sample.
In the meantime: across Canadian emergency departments, evenings between about 6 p.m. and midnight are typically the busiest, and early mornings are usually quietest. Monday is often the heaviest weekday.
Foothills Medical Centre wait time graph
No wait history for this hospital yet.
We chart the last 24 hours of published waits here, alongside any wait times visitors report. There aren't enough readings for Foothills Medical Centre to draw a line yet.
Waited here recently? Submitting your wait above is the fastest way to get this graph started.
Location & emergency contacts
1403 29 Street NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4M1
Calgary, Alberta
- 811Health advice line24/7 registered nurse for non-urgent concerns (Health Link / Info-Santé)
- 988Suicide Crisis HelplineCall or text, 24/7, across Canada
- 1-844-764-7669Poison & Drug InformationPoisoning, overdose or medication emergencies
Emergency rooms in Calgary
4 other departments in Calgary besides Foothills Medical Centre, shortest wait first.
| Hospital | Type | Wait | Source | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta Children's Hospital | Children | 1h 55m | Official | 3h ago |
| Rockyview General Hospital | ER | 3h 24m | Official | 3h ago |
| Peter Lougheed Centre | ER | 3h 46m | Official | 3h ago |
| South Health Campus | ER | 4h 29m | Official | 3h ago |
Nearby ERs outside Calgary
The closest emergency departments in neighbouring communities — worth the drive when the local wait is long. Distances are straight-line, so allow more for real roads.
| Hospital | Distance | Wait | Source | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oilfields General HospitalBlack Diamond | 44 km | 1h 23m | Predicted | 46d ago |
| Strathmore District Health ServicesStrathmore | 52 km | 2h 30m | Predicted | 46d ago |
Not an emergency? 2 walk-in options in Calgary
Urgent care and walk-in clinics handle minor injuries, infections and prescriptions, usually far faster than an emergency department. Their hours are limited — check before you go.
| Hospital | Type | Wait | Source | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre | Urgent Care | 2h 45m | Official | 3h ago |
| South Calgary Health Centre | Urgent Care | — | — | — |
Tips for visiting the ER in Calgary
Call 911 instead if it's severe
Chest pain, trouble breathing, stroke signs, heavy bleeding, or a serious injury — call 911 rather than driving. Paramedics start treatment on the way and you are assessed on arrival instead of joining the queue.
Bring your Alberta Health Care card and a medication list
Bring your Alberta Health Care card, photo ID, and a written list of your medications, doses and allergies. It is the single thing that speeds up registration and triage most, and it is easy to forget when you are unwell.
Expect to be seen by severity, not arrival
Triage means the sickest patient goes first, so the posted wait is an estimate for an average patient. Tell the triage nurse immediately if your symptoms change or get worse while you are waiting — that can change your priority.
Check the wait before you leave, and check nearby Calgary options
Waits move by the hour. Refresh this page just before you set off, and compare against the other departments listed further down — a longer drive can still mean a shorter total time.
Try Health Link (811) first if you're unsure
Health Link (811) connects you to a registered nurse, free and around the clock, who can tell you whether an emergency visit is warranted or whether a clinic, a pharmacist or waiting until morning is safe.
Bring someone, and something to do
Emergency departments run 24/7 and waits of several hours are common. Bring a phone charger, water, any regular medication you take, and if you can, someone who can speak for you and drive you home.
Visitor reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience.
Leave a review
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current ER wait time at Foothills Medical Centre?
- The emergency wait at Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary is about 5h 35m, published by Alberta Health Services (albertahealthservices.ca). WaitUpdates.ca re-checks this number roughly every 10 minutes, so the figure at the top of this page is the latest one published.
- Which Calgary emergency room has the shortest wait right now?
- Of the 6 departments in Calgary publishing a live wait, Alberta Children's Hospital is currently shortest at 1h 55m. Waits move through the day, so check this page before you leave rather than relying on a number from a few hours ago.
- How many emergency departments are there in Calgary?
- WaitUpdates.ca tracks 8 hospital departments in Calgary, 5 of which are emergency rooms. They are all listed on this page with their current waits, shortest first.
- Should I go to the emergency room with the shortest wait time?
- Not necessarily. Canadian emergency departments triage by severity, not arrival order, so a sicker patient arriving after you is seen first. A department showing a longer posted wait may still treat you sooner if your condition is urgent, and the posted figure is an estimate for average patients, not a promise. Use the shortest wait to choose between comparable options — never to decide whether to seek care at all.
- Where does WaitUpdates.ca get Foothills Medical Centre's wait times?
- Directly from Alberta Health Services (albertahealthservices.ca), which publishes it publicly. We re-check about every 10 minutes and show when the figure was last refreshed. Separately, visitors to this page report how long they actually waited, and those reports appear in their own section — they never change the official number.
- Is Foothills Medical Centre open 24 hours?
- Yes. Emergency departments in Alberta, including Foothills Medical Centre, are open 24 hours a day, every day of the year, including holidays. Urgent care and walk-in clinics keep shorter hours, so check before travelling to one of those instead.
- What should I do if the wait in Calgary is long?
- This page lists the 2 nearest emergency departments outside Calgary with their current waits and distance, so you can weigh a drive against a wait. You can also call Health Link at 811 to speak with a registered nurse about where to go. For something non-urgent, there are 2 walk-in or urgent care options in Calgary listed on this page. If symptoms are severe or worsening, call 911 — long waits are never a reason to avoid emergency care.
More cities in Alberta
View all Alberta ER wait times →Work at an ER?
If Foothills Medical Centre publishes a wait time we are not showing — or the number here is wrong — tell us and we will wire up the feed. It is free, and it takes about 30 seconds.