| Rhineland, Texas | |
| Settlement Type: | Unincorporated community |
| Image Alt: | Image of St Joseph's Church in Rhineland |
| Pushpin Map: | Texas#USA |
| Pushpin Label Position: | bottom |
| Pushpin Label: | Rhineland |
| Pushpin Map Alt: | Map of Texas |
| Pushpin Relief: | yes |
| Coordinates: | 33.5297°N -99.655°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Knox |
| Subdivision Type3: | Region |
| Subdivision Name3: | Brazos River basin |
| Established Title: | Established |
| Established Date: | 1895 |
| Unit Pref: | US |
| Elevation Footnotes: | [1] |
| Elevation Ft: | 1404 |
| Population Total: | 100 |
| Population As Of: | 2000 |
| Timezone1: | CST |
| Utc Offset1: | -6 |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 76371 |
| Area Code Type: | Area code |
| Area Code: | 940 |
Rhineland is an unincorporated community in Knox County, Texas, United States. According to the Handbook of Texas, the community had an estimated population of 100 in 2000.[2]
Rhineland is located within the physiographic region known as the Texas Rolling Plains, approximately 1miles south of the Brazos River at the intersection of Farm-to-Market roads 267 and 2534 in southeastern Knox County. It is situated 9miles to the southeast of the county seat of Benjamin, 6miles north of Munday, and 85miles north of Abilene.[3]
According to the Köppen climate classification, Rhineland enjoys a semiarid climate, BSk on climate maps.[4]
The community was officially established on February 1, 1895, when the land contract between J.C. League and German-born Catholics – Father Joseph R. Reisdorff and Hugh Herchenbach – was notarized.[2] The 12000acres plot was advertised as a colony for German Catholics and was named after the Rhineland region in Germany. The first land sold was to John Bruckner at $8 an acre. John bought around 160 acres, but had 8,000 acres to choose from. The land he chose sits near the corner of FM 267 and CR 4260. The Rhineland Common School District was organized in 1898, with the first schoolhouse being built the following year. A larger, brick school building was constructed in 1926 that provided public education through high school. A number of students attended a local parochial school.
By 1950, Rhineland had around 75 residents. Over the years, the community experienced a slight rise in population, but the number of businesses declined. Rhineland's school district later consolidated with nearby Munday. In 1980, the estimated number of inhabitants in Rhineland was 196. That figure had fallen to 100 by 2000.[2]
Public education in the community of Rhineland is provided by the Munday Consolidated Independent School District.