While patients and payers may expect urgent care to be available 7-days a week, approximately 20% of urgent care centers are closed on Saturdays, and approximately 30% are closed on Sundays, according to a February 2025 analysis of 14,301 centers by National Urgent Care Realty and Urgent Care Consultants.
Of the centers open 7 days a week, 24% open and close at the same time every day. Otherwise, centers that are open weekends are likely to do so with reduced hours, typically closing 2-4 hours earlier on Saturday and Sunday than on weekdays. Just 79 centers across the United States are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, according to the data.
The Urgent Care Association no longer prescribes 3,000 hours per year minimum operating time for accreditation or certification. However, some health insurance payers may mandate minimum hours when the objective is to reduce emergency department utilization. Other factors that influence hours of operation include local patient demand, competition, and provider and staff availability.
Download the Article PDF: Does Urgent Care Require 7-Day Operations?
