Express Urgent Care is a walk-in urgent care about thirteen minutes from University City by I-170 and I-70, open Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Flu and COVID tests run in the on-site laboratory, and confidential STI testing needs no explanation at the desk.

University City is dense in a way most of St. Louis County is not — the Loop, the blocks around Washington University’s western edge, a large renting and student population, and a lot of people who do not have an established primary care doctor in the area because they have only lived here two years. That combination produces exactly the kind of medical need urgent care exists for: something that started yesterday, is worse today, and has no obvious place to go. We are about five miles northwest, open weekdays until seven, and we do not need you to be an existing patient.

What can I be seen for at urgent care?

Everything that needs attention today but is not an emergency. Colds and influenza, sore throat and strep, ear and sinus infections, bronchitis and persistent cough, fever, stomach upset and dehydration, urinary symptoms, rashes and allergic reactions, and asthma flare-ups. On the injury side: sprains and strains, suspected fractures, dislocations, cuts needing closure, minor burns, abrasions, animal bites and insect stings, sports injuries and head injuries. We also handle physicals, vaccinations, confidential STI testing, occupational medicine and an on-site infusion suite.

Can urgent care run tests on site?

The reason most urgent care visits turn into two appointments is that the clinic cannot run the test. We can. Digital X-ray is on site and read during your visit, so a suspected fracture is confirmed or ruled out before you leave, and splinting or bracing happens the same day. Our laboratory handles strep, influenza, COVID-19, mononucleosis, urinalysis, pregnancy testing and blood panels, with most results back inside the visit and the rest within a few days. Ultrasound and CT are available for the cases that need them.

How far is urgent care from University City?

The cleanest run from University City is Interstate 170 north to Interstate 70 west, then off at the Lambert exit — roughly thirteen minutes outside of rush hour. From the Delmar Loop end, going up Hanley to I-170 avoids most of the surface-street lights. There is free parking at the door, which is its own argument if you are used to the Loop. For students without a car, the visit is worth planning around someone who has one; we are not on a direct transit line.

What shouldn’t I go to urgent care for?

We are an urgent care center, not an emergency department, and the distinction matters. Call 911 or go to an emergency room for chest pain, difficulty breathing, signs of stroke, severe or uncontrolled bleeding, a serious head injury with loss of consciousness or worsening symptoms, severe abdominal pain, a major burn, a severe allergic reaction, pregnancy complications, or any injury involving exposed bone. For everything short of that, urgent care is faster and costs a fraction of what an emergency department charges for the same complaint. Our post on urgent care versus the emergency room sets out where the line sits.

What happens when I walk in?

You arrive without an appointment and register at the front desk. Bring a photo ID, your insurance card if you have one, and a list of the medicines you take; if the patient is a child, a parent or guardian needs to be there to sign. You are triaged in the order you arrive, adjusted for how sick people are, so a chest complaint will move ahead of a form that needs signing. A clinician takes your history, examines you, and orders whatever testing the problem calls for. Because the laboratory and the X-ray suite are in the building, that testing generally happens while you wait rather than becoming a second appointment. You leave with a diagnosis where one can be made, a treatment plan, any prescription sent to your pharmacy, written instructions, and a clear statement of what should bring you back. Our post on what to expect from an urgent care visit covers it in more detail.

Insurance, records and follow-up

We accept most major insurance plans and we also see self-pay patients; bring whatever coverage you have and the front desk will tell you where you stand before anything is done. If you would like the cost in writing beforehand, you can request a Good Faith Estimate. We are not trying to replace your regular doctor — where you have one, we send a summary of the visit so your own physician knows what happened and what was prescribed. Where you do not, we will tell you honestly whether this is something that needs ongoing care and help you find it. If the problem turns out to sit outside urgent care, we say so and point you to the right place rather than treating around the edges of it. Language assistance is available at no charge, and the clinic is wheelchair accessible throughout.

Frequently asked questions

Can I be seen without an established doctor in St. Louis?

Yes. You do not need a referral, an existing chart, or a primary care doctor in the area. Walk in and you are seen. Walk-in urgent care is designed for exactly this, and we will send a visit summary wherever you ask us to.

Do you offer confidential STI testing?

Yes, and you do not need to explain yourself at the desk. We test for chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV and more, with several results back during the visit. See STD and STI testing for how it works and what the timing after an exposure looks like.

Do you take walk-ins for flu and COVID testing?

Yes, both are same-visit tests in our on-site laboratory. If you are trying to get ahead of the season, our post on staying healthy during flu season is worth ten minutes.

Is urgent care cheaper than the ER?

It is, for anything that is not a true emergency. The same complaint costs a fraction here of what an emergency department charges, and urgent care is the faster route as well. If you are between insurance plans, we see self-pay patients, and the front desk tells you where you stand before anything is done. A written Good Faith Estimate is available on request.

Can you go to urgent care at night?

Until 7 p.m., Monday to Friday; we open at 7 a.m. That covers the problem that started yesterday and got worse after a class or a shift, as long as you arrive before closing. There is nothing to book: walk in with a photo ID and any insurance card you have. For chest pain, trouble breathing or signs of stroke at any hour, call 911.

Visit us

Express Urgent Care
4479 Woodson Rd, Suite 290, St. Louis, MO 63134
Monday to Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

No appointment and no referral. Walk in, or call ahead on your way and we will start the registration. We also serve Florissant, Bridgeton, Hazelwood, Overland, Ferguson, St. Ann and the surrounding communities.