The municipality lies in Rhenish Hesse and belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Alzey-Land, whose seat is in Alzey.

In 790, Gau-Heppenheim had its first documentary mention as Hepfanheim when several holdings were granted to Lorsch Abbey.

The former castle complex, mentioned about 1500, was utterly destroyed in 1766 by a lightning strike and the ensuing fire.

Until the late 18th century, the place belonged to the Elector of the Palatinate.

[3] Anton Spiehler was a Catholic priest in Gau-Heppenheim, and later a bishop’s secretary, a spiritual adviser and a cathedral capitulary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Speyer, as well as the deputy head of the diocesan seminary and Summus Custos (“Highest Keeper”) of Speyer Cathedral.