Rheems

Rheems is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. It sits in West Hempfield Township, along a prominent transportation corridor in the eastern part of the county, southeast of the city of Lancaster. The community developed as a rural crossroads and agricultural center, with residential growth spreading along U.S. Route 30 and surrounding local streets.

The origin of the name Rheems is not definitively documented in standard references, but the name appears in historical maps, postal records, and local lore dating to the 19th century. Rheems has long been associated with farming and small-scale commerce, with its fortunes shaped by proximity to larger towns and the highway network that connects them.

Rheems is part of the Lancaster metropolitan area and relies on nearby towns for many services. It is near communities such as Mountville, Landisville, and Elizabethtown, and residents access a range of amenities, schools, and healthcare in those centers and in Lancaster.

Education in the area is provided by the Hempfield Area School District, which serves children in the western portion of West Hempfield Township. Public safety and municipal services are coordinated through township and county agencies, with fire, police, and emergency services typically shared with nearby municipalities.

Economically, the area retains much of its rural character, with farming still visible alongside growing residential development that mirrors broader patterns in Lancaster County. Local landmarks are primarily modest historic homes and small commercial establishments that reflect the region’s 19th- and early-20th-century development.