Last checked: October 11, 2026. In an emergency, call 911 rather than driving yourself to the Riddle Hospital ER.
The Riddle Hospital ER is the emergency department at Main Line Health’s Riddle Hospital, 1068 West Baltimore Pike in Media. It takes walk-in patients around the clock, and its direct line is 484-227-8215. Expect a crowded waiting room: since the Crozer hospitals closed in 2025, Riddle has absorbed more of the county’s emergency patients than almost any other hospital. Our Riddle Hospital guide covers the rest of the campus; this page is about the ER.
This site is an independent local guide. We are not affiliated with Main Line Health, Riddle Hospital or Crozer Health, and nothing here is medical advice.
Riddle Hospital ER at a glance
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Address | 1068 West Baltimore Pike, Media, PA 19063 |
| ER phone | 484-227-8215 |
| Hospital main line | 484-227-9400 |
| Owner | Main Line Health |
| ER parking | Dedicated Emergency Department lot, for ER patients only |
| Trauma center? | No. Riddle is not a designated trauma center |
| Live wait times online? | None published for Riddle |
The address and both phone numbers come from Main Line Health’s Riddle Hospital location page. If you are calling about a family member who is already in the ER, the ER line is the faster route. For anything else, the main number gets you to the operator.
How busy is the Riddle Hospital emergency department now?
Very. Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland ran the county’s largest emergency department, with about 65,000 visits in 2023. When it and Taylor Hospital closed in spring 2025, most of those patients had to go somewhere else, and Riddle was one of the closest options.
The numbers tell the story. Riddle had nearly 38,000 ER visits in 2023, and visits rose about 40% after Crozer-Chester closed, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. In April 2025, just before the closure, Riddle’s president told CBS Philadelphia the ER was seeing 150 to 160 patients a day in a department with 23 beds. By fall 2025, reporting by the Philadelphia Business Journal put the average at more than 200 visits a day, up from 121 in March of that year.
Main Line Health has responded in several ways. It added 50 inpatient beds across three floors, hired former Crozer staff and reopened older hospital space it had kept during Riddle’s campus renovation. In January 2026, state lawmakers presented Riddle with $4 million to hire and keep nurses and technicians. A separate $4 million state grant announced in July 2026 will fund a new Main Line Health emergency facility in Delaware County, but no construction date has been set.
Mental health visits have grown fastest. Crozer ran the county’s only 24/7 crisis center, and Riddle went from about 20 psychiatric patients a month to about 140, the Inquirer reported in July 2025. If you or someone you know is in a mental health crisis, you can call or text 988 at any hour.
Riddle Hospital emergency room wait time: what we know
Main Line Health does not post live wait times for the Riddle ER, and there is no online check-in or “save my spot” option listed on its site. Anyone quoting you a specific current wait is guessing.
What the federal data shows is the trend. An Inquirer analysis of Medicare data found the average ER visit at Riddle grew 64 minutes longer between 2021 and 2024, even before Crozer closed. A typical ER visit in the Philadelphia region already took about three and a half hours. Main Line Health has blamed longer waits on what it called an “unprecedented 50% increase” in ER volume, in a statement to WHYY.
Like every ER, Riddle sees the sickest patients first, not the earliest arrivals. Staff will take someone with chest pain or stroke symptoms back ahead of a sprained ankle, even if the ankle has been waiting for hours. That’s why evenings and weekends can feel slow for minor problems. Plan for a long visit if your issue is not urgent.
Getting there and where to park
Riddle sits on Baltimore Pike (Route 1) in Middletown Township, with a Media mailing address. Follow the “Emergency” signs from the campus entrance rather than heading to the main lobby or the garages.
The hospital keeps a flat Emergency Department lot that is reserved for ER patients. Main Line Health says ER patients receive “clinical validation” for that lot, so ask at registration about your parking. If a friend or relative is dropping you off and staying, they may end up in a garage. As of our last check, the garages were card-only (no cash), free for the first 30 minutes, $5 for up to three hours and $12 for a full day, with a $3 flat rate for seniors and people with disabilities and free parking for veterans.
Without a car, SEPTA bus 117 stops at the hospital. The nearest Regional Rail stop, Elwyn on the Media/Wawa Line, is about two miles away, so you will need a cab or rideshare from there.
What happens when you check in
Every visit runs a little differently, but this is the usual order at a busy community ER like Riddle’s:
- Quick registration. Staff take your name, date of birth and the reason you came in.
- Triage. A nurse checks your vital signs, asks about symptoms and assigns a priority level. That level, not your arrival time, decides how soon you are seen.
- Waiting. Lower-priority patients may wait in the lobby. At many ERs, some tests, such as bloodwork, start before you get a room.
- Exam and treatment. A physician or advanced practice provider sees you. Main Line Health says its ER physicians are board-certified in emergency medicine.
- Results and a decision. You are either discharged with instructions or admitted. With the hospital running near full, admitted patients sometimes wait in the ER for an inpatient bed.
One practical tip: if your symptoms get worse while you wait, tell the triage desk right away. In June 2025, state inspectors cited Riddle after a patient’s vital signs went almost seven hours without a recheck. The hospital retrained staff and passed a follow-up inspection in September, but speaking up is still the surest way to be re-evaluated.
What to bring to the ER
Pack light, but bring a photo ID, your insurance card and a written list of your medications with doses. Allergies, recent surgeries and your doctors’ names belong on that list too. A phone charger helps on a long night.
If you used to get care at Crozer, the ER team may not be able to see your old Crozer chart, so a summary of your major diagnoses is worth having on paper. Visitors should know Riddle does not take cash anywhere on campus, though a cash-to-card kiosk sits in the main lobby.
When to call 911 instead of driving yourself
Call 911 for chest pain, signs of a stroke, severe bleeding, trouble breathing or a serious injury. Paramedics can start treatment on the way and alert the hospital before you arrive.
Keep in mind that Riddle is not a designated trauma center, and neither is Mercy Fitzgerald. Crozer-Chester was the county’s only high-level trauma center, so after a bad crash or a gunshot wound, paramedics may drive to Lankenau Medical Center in Wynnewood, Penn Presbyterian in Philadelphia or Christiana Hospital in Delaware instead. Transport times in the county have grown longer since the closures, which is one more reason not to delay the call.
Other options near Media
The Riddle ER is not your only choice. Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital in Darby runs a full 24/7 emergency department (see our Mercy Fitzgerald ER guide), and the small ChristianaCare Hospital, Aston opened its 24/7 ER on Turner Industrial Way in June 2026. We keep a list of other ERs in Delaware County and just beyond it. For minor problems such as a mild fever, a small cut or a sprain, an urgent care center or your own doctor’s office will usually be faster and cheaper than an ER.
If you are not sure where to turn, the Delaware County Health Department’s Wellness Line answers at 484-276-2100, 24 hours a day.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Riddle Hospital ER open 24 hours?
Yes. The emergency department takes patients at any hour, every day, including holidays.
What is the phone number for the Riddle Hospital emergency room?
The ER line is 484-227-8215. The hospital’s main number is 484-227-9400. In an emergency, call 911, not the hospital. For billing, records and patient-room lines, see our Riddle Hospital phone directory.
Can I check the Riddle Hospital ER wait time online?
No. Main Line Health does not publish live wait times or offer online check-in for the Riddle ER. Calling ahead won’t get you a place in line either, because staff see patients in order of how sick they are.
Is Riddle Hospital a trauma center?
No. Ambulances usually take severe trauma patients from Delaware County to trauma centers such as Lankenau, Penn Presbyterian or Christiana Hospital.
Where do I park for the Riddle ER?
Use the dedicated Emergency Department lot, which is reserved for ER patients. Follow the Emergency signs from the Baltimore Pike entrance.
An independent guide. Crozer Health Center Guide is not affiliated with Crozer Health, Prospect Medical, Main Line Health, Trinity Health or any hospital, and nothing here is medical advice. In an emergency, call 911. For a mental health crisis, call or text 988.
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