New CMS data shows the median time patients spent in the emergency department before leaving has edged down nationally, though wide variation persists across states.
Nationwide, the median time patients spent in the ED was 161 minutes for the 12-month period ending June 2025, down from 163 minutes the same period a year prior, according to CMS data.
The agency’s “Timely and Effective Care” dataset, updated May 13, covers children and adults treated at hospitals paid under the Inpatient Prospective Payment System or Outpatient Prospective Payment System, as well as those that voluntarily report data on relevant measures. Data was collected in the 12-month period ending June 2025. Averages include Veterans Health Administration and Department of Defense hospitals. Learn more about the methodology here.
State-level averages are influenced by population density and do not account for acuity. States with a higher number of lower-volume, lower-acuity EDs may have shorter visit times, while states with a higher concentration of complex, high-acuity EDs may show longer times than peers.
To effectively assess ED performance, experts recommend evaluating performance against a cohort of similar facilities that account for both patient volume and acuity. For a deeper look at how leaders can build a more accurate picture of ED performance, read more here.
Here’s how each state and Washington, D.C., stacks up in the latest data.
District of Columbia — 310 minutes
Maryland — 246
Rhode Island — 222
Massachusetts — 217
Delaware — 215
Connecticut — 195
New York — 194
North Carolina — 187
New Jersey — 186
Pennsylvania — 184
Vermont — 180
Arizona — 178
California — 176
Illinois — 164
Georgia — 162
New Mexico — 162
Virginia — 162
Maine — 161
Tennessee — 161
Michigan — 159
South Carolina — 159
Ohio — 157
Florida — 155
Missouri — 154
Washington — 153
Kentucky — 150
Alabama — 149
Oregon — 147
Indiana — 145
Texas — 145
Nevada — 144
Idaho — 142
Arkansas — 140
West Virginia — 138
Wisconsin — 137
Alaska — 136
Colorado — 134
Wyoming — 132
Utah — 131
Minnesota — 130
Louisiana — 129
Mississippi — 129
Kansas — 126
New Hampshire — 126
Iowa — 123
Montana — 123
Oklahoma — 118
South Dakota — 115
Hawaii — 114
Nebraska — 112
North Dakota — 110
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