Grand River Hospital

Best Times to Visit

Quieter times: No historical wait-time data is currently available for this location. In general, mid-morning on weekdays (Tuesday through Thursday) tends to be less busy than evenings and weekends at most urban hospital EDs. For non-life-threatening concerns, arriving earlier in the day can mean shorter waits.

Busier times: No historical data is available to identify the busiest times at this specific ED. As with most large urban emergency departments, evenings, weekends, and holidays typically see higher volumes. If your condition is not life-threatening, consider visiting during off-peak daytime hours when possible.

About Grand River Hospital

Grand River Hospital's emergency department, now part of the Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN) at the Midtown site on King Street West, is Waterloo Region's largest hospital emergency department and operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Located in Kitchener, ON, this full-service ED is supported by over 650 beds and 15 specialized programs including critical care, surgery, stroke, pediatrics, and maternal-child services. Patients with serious or life-threatening conditions in Waterloo Region should come here for access to the region's broadest range of acute, specialized, and complex care.

Services & Specialties

Emergency medicine (24/7), Critical care / ICU, Surgery, Stroke care, Pediatric care, Maternal-child and childbirth services, Medical imaging, Inpatient mental health and addictions, Cancer care (Grand River Regional Cancer Centre), Renal dialysis, Rehabilitation, Complex continuing care, Laboratory medicine, Pharmacy services, Withdrawal management.

Amenities

• On-site pharmacy
• Taxi phones in the main lobby
• Fully accessible facility (wheelchair accessible)
• OHIP-covered services (OHIP card required)
• Main entrance open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily (after 11 p.m., enter via the ER entrance)
• Parking garage with pay machines (cash, coin, credit card)

Other Care Options

Not every health issue needs an ER visit. Find out where to go for care → · 14 walk-in clinics in Kitchener →

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Compare hospital wait times across Canada. View all wait times →

Tips Before You Go

• The emergency department is located on the second floor in the E wing — if you enter through the main King St W entrance, you will arrive on the third floor and need to go down one level to register.
• After 11 p.m., the main entrance is closed; urgent visitors, medical imaging patients, and labour and delivery patients must use the emergency department entrance at King Street West and Pine Street.
• If you visit frequently, save money on parking by purchasing an HPASS multi-day card at the hospital's Parking Office — it's available in 5, 10, or 30-day increments at a discounted rate.
• Take the ION light rail to the dedicated Grand River Hospital station for a stress-free, parking-free visit — the platform is wheelchair accessible and the stop is right at the hospital.
• No referral is needed to access emergency services — walk in at any time. Interpretive services are available in English, and the facility is fully accessible.

What to Bring

• Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) card
• Government-issued photo ID
• List of current medications, including dosages
• List of known allergies
• Any relevant medical records or recent test results
• Personal health card or insurance information (if applicable)
• Phone charger and entertainment for potential wait times
• A support person or caregiver, if permitted and needed

Parking

Short- and long-term parking is available in the on-site parking garage at a rate of $3.75 per half hour, up to a daily maximum of $15.75. Pay machines on the first level of the garage accept cash, coin, and credit card. Pay-and-display machines around the property accept coins and credit cards; display your receipt on your dashboard. Accessible permit-only spots are available in all lots — payment is still required. A discounted multi-day HPASS card (5, 10, or 30 days) is available for patients and frequent visitors and must be purchased at the hospital's Parking Office. The emergency department has its own dedicated entrance at King Street West and Pine Street, with special parking nearby.

Getting There

The Midtown site is served by GRT Route 7, with stops directly outside the emergency department on both sides of King Street West. The hospital is also accessible via the ION light rail at the dedicated 'Waterloo Regional Health Network' (Grand River Hospital) station, which is wheelchair accessible. The primary ION platform access is via the crosswalk at Pine Street. Taxi phones are available in the main lobby.

Frequently Asked Questions

About ER Wait Times

Emergency departments use triage. Patients with more serious conditions are seen first, regardless of arrival time.

Wait times are estimates based on Ontario health data. Actual wait times may vary.

This hospital does not publish a live wait, so the figure above comes from our model rather than from its own feed. We publish how that model performs where it can be checked, at the hospitals that do publish. See the accuracy scorecard, or how we work the number out.

If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 immediately.