Safety & Medical Emergencies

Palo Alto is an extremely safe community, and other than taking obvious precautions when out at night, visitors should feel comfortable freely exploring the city. Use common sense and extra care when using the pedestrian tunnels at the train stations, and avoid walking alone at night.

Medical care is available either at the Urgent Care department at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation (795 El Camino Real; adults, 650-321-4121; pediatric, 650-853-6558; pamf.org) or the emergency room at Stanford Hospital (900 Quarry Road Extension; 650-723-5111; stanfordhealthcare.org). Follow "Emergency" signs posted on streets in the area.

For non-life-threatening medical problems, go to Palo Alto Medical Foundation Urgent Care. It's open daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Walk-ins and same-day appointments are available. The Stanford Hospital emergency room, which is open 24/7, functions as a regional trauma center, so there can be long delays for patients with non-emergency conditions. Dialing 911 for a medical emergency in Palo Alto or at Stanford will result in a response from Palo Alto Fire Department paramedics, who will transport patients to the Stanford emergency room.

Dialing 911 for a medical emergency in Palo Alto or at Stanford will result in a response from Palo Alto Fire Department paramedics, which will transport patients to the Stanford emergency room.

For after-hours prescriptions, Walgreens at 121 E. El Camino Real, Mountain View, is open 24/7. Call 650-961-7555.