Compare
Urgent care vs
primary care doctor.
Quick answer
Use urgent care when you need same-day care for acute illness, injury, or testing — no appointment required. Use your primary care doctor for annual wellness, chronic disease management, and long-term medication refills. We're a bridge, not a replacement.
| Metric | Urgent care | Primary care |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Acute illness, injury, testing, same-day care | Ongoing care, chronic disease, prescriptions refills |
| Wait for appointment | None — walk in | Days to weeks |
| Visit cost (self-pay) | ~$89 | $100–$300 |
| Hours | Daily 7am–8pm including holidays | Mon–Fri office hours |
| Continuity of care | Episodic — we send notes to your PCP | Long-term relationship |
| Refills / preventive | Related to visit only | Full preventive & chronic management |
| On-site X-ray & labs | Yes | Rarely — usually referred out |
Choose urgent care for
- Sudden illness (fever, flu, strep)
- Injury or accident (sprain, cut, burn)
- UTIs, sinus, ear infections
- Same-day physicals (sports, DOT, work)
- Rapid COVID-19, flu, strep testing
Choose primary care for
- Annual wellness visit
- Chronic disease management (diabetes, HTN)
- Long-term medication refills
- Age-appropriate screenings
- Established relationship & continuity
Need care today?
Walk in, get diagnosed and treated, and we'll send the visit summary to your PCP.