How long is a typical MRI?

In general, exams take 45 to 60 minutes, and up to 2 hours for specialty exams, according to UC Davis Health. Brain and spine exams average about 45 minutes. Body exams run 45 to 60 minutes. Knee, ankle, hip, elbow, and wrist exams average 25 to 45 minutes. Cardiac MRI is the long one, at 90 minutes to 2 hours.

Does contrast make the MRI longer?

Yes. The technologist acquires images first without contrast, pauses to inject gadolinium through an IV, then repeats sequences afterward. In practice that adds roughly 10 to 20 minutes, plus the time to place the IV before the exam starts.

Why does moving make the scan take longer?

MRI builds each image from a sequence that runs for several minutes at a time. Motion during a sequence blurs it and the technologist has to repeat that sequence from the beginning. A few repeats can add 15 minutes to an exam. This is why technologists ask you to hold still and why they announce how long each run will last.

How long should I plan to be at the imaging center?

Add 30 to 45 minutes to the scan time. Registration, the safety screening questionnaire, changing into a gown, removing all metal, IV placement if contrast is used, and positioning all happen before the first image. A 45-minute brain MRI is realistically a 90-minute appointment.

How Long Does an MRI Take?

Q: Can I get a faster MRI?

Sometimes. Abbreviated protocols exist for specific questions, and FDA-cleared deep learning reconstruction software now cuts acquisition time substantially on many scanners. A 2025 study in Radiology Advances found deep learning reconstruction roughly halved scan time for routine neuroradiology exams while preserving image quality. Availability depends on the scanner and the site, so ask when you book.

The short answer: most MRI exams take 45 to 60 minutes inside the scanner, and up to 2 hours for specialty exams. Brain and spine average about 45 minutes. Joints such as knee, ankle, hip, elbow, and wrist run 25 to 45 minutes. Cardiac MRI is the outlier at 90 minutes to 2 hours. Contrast adds roughly 10 to 20 minutes. Plan on the total appointment being 30 to 45 minutes longer than the scan itself.

Typical times by body part

UC Davis Health publishes the ranges its own patients are told to expect, which is more useful than a generic estimate (UC Davis Health, MRI FAQ):

General rule: 45 to 60 minutes, and up to 2 hours for specialty exams
Brain and spine: about 45 minutes
Body (abdomen, pelvis): 45 to 60 minutes
Knee, ankle, hip, elbow, wrist: 25 to 45 minutes
Cardiac: 90 minutes to 2 hours

Two things shift these. Scanning two body parts roughly doubles the time, so "both knees" is an hour rather than half an hour. And adding contrast extends the exam because the same sequences get repeated after the injection.

Why does MRI take so much longer than a CT scan?

Because it collects data differently. A CT scanner rotates an X-ray source around you and can capture a chest in seconds. MRI has no X-rays at all.

Instead, a strong magnet aligns protons in your body. As the NIH's imaging institute describes it, a radiofrequency current is pulsed through the patient, which stimulates the protons and spins them out of equilibrium; sensors then detect the energy released as they realign (NIBIB, Magnetic Resonance Imaging). Different tissues realign at different rates, which is what produces MRI's soft-tissue detail.

That process has to be repeated many times to build one image set, and a full exam stacks several of these sets, called sequences, each tuned to show something different: fluid, fat, blood flow, inflammation. Each sequence runs for a few minutes. Add six to ten of them and you have an hour.

The banging you hear marks the boundaries. Each distinct rhythm is a different sequence running. Noise intensity reaches up to 120 decibels in some scanners, which is why ear protection is standard and why the technologist provides earplugs.

What actually makes a scan run long

Most overruns are not the machine. They are these:

Movement. Motion during a sequence blurs it, and a blurred sequence has to be repeated from the start. Three repeats can add 15 minutes. This is the single largest controllable factor.
Contrast. Pre-contrast images, then an IV injection of gadolinium, then post-contrast repeats.
Extra sequences added mid-exam. If the radiologist sees something that needs another view, they can add it while you are still in the scanner. Annoying in the moment; better than a second appointment.
Breath-holds. Abdominal and cardiac imaging require repeated breath-holds, and every missed one is a repeat.
Positioning difficulty. Pain, limited range of motion, or the need for a specialized coil all slow setup.
Anxiety in the bore. Stopping the scan to come out and reset costs time. If you know enclosed spaces are hard for you, address it in advance rather than mid-exam. See our guide to managing claustrophobia during an MRI.

How long is the whole appointment?

Longer than the scan, always. Budget 30 to 45 minutes on top for:

Registration and paperwork
The MRI safety screening questionnaire, which asks about implants, pacemakers, surgical clips, metal fragments in the eye, and prior metalwork injuries
Changing into a gown and removing every piece of metal, including underwire, hair clips, and jewelry
IV placement if contrast is planned
Positioning, coil placement, earplugs, and the first localizer images

A 45-minute brain MRI is realistically a 90-minute visit. Our guide to what to expect at your first MRI walks through the sequence of events.

Are MRIs getting faster?

Yes, meaningfully, and this is one of the few areas where the marketing and the evidence roughly agree.

Deep learning reconstruction software takes deliberately undersampled data and reconstructs a full-quality image from it, which means the scanner can collect less and still produce a diagnostic result. A 2025 study in Radiology Advances found deep learning MRI halved scan time while preserving image quality across routine neuroradiologic examinations (Radiology Advances, 2025). Several such systems now hold FDA clearance and are deployed on scanners from multiple vendors.

Separately, abbreviated protocols answer one narrow question with a handful of sequences rather than a full exam. They are established in breast imaging and increasingly used elsewhere.

Neither is universal. Whether you get a 20-minute brain MRI or a 45-minute one depends on the scanner at that specific site. It is a fair question to ask when you schedule, particularly if lying still is difficult for you.

How to make your own scan shorter

Use the bathroom immediately beforehand. Discomfort causes movement.
Skip caffeine before the appointment if you fidget.
Wear metal-free clothing so you can skip the gown, when the site allows it.
Take the earplugs and the blanket. Cold and noise both make people restless.
Ask how long each sequence runs. Knowing you have four more minutes is easier than not knowing.
Raise anxiety before you are in the scanner, not during. Oral anxiolytics, if appropriate, need to be arranged in advance and require a driver.
Bring prior imaging from another facility. It sometimes prevents a repeat sequence.

And how long until the results?

A different clock entirely. The scan ends, then a radiologist reads it and dictates a report, and then your ordering clinician reviews it with you. Routine outpatient turnaround is commonly one to several business days; inpatient and emergency studies are read much faster. Our guide to reading MRI results covers what the report language means.

The bottom line

Plan for 45 to 60 minutes in the scanner for most exams, 25 to 45 for a single joint, and up to 2 hours for cardiac or complex studies. Add 10 to 20 minutes if contrast is used and 30 to 45 minutes of appointment overhead. The largest thing under your control is holding still, because every repeated sequence adds minutes that no scanner upgrade will give back.

Last updated: August 2026. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Follow the specific preparation instructions given by the facility performing your scan.