Wem is a market town in Shropshire, England, 9 miles (14 km) north of Shrewsbury on the rail line between that town and Crewe in Cheshire.

The name of the town is derived from the Old English wamm, meaning a marsh, as marshy land exists in the area of the town. Over time, this was corrupted to form "Wem".

As a caput of a barony and the centre of a large manor and parish Wem was a centre for justice and local government for centuries, and was the headquarters of the North Shropshire District Council until Shropshire became a unitary authority. From the 12th century revisions to the hundreds of Shropshire, Wem was within the North Division of Bradford Hundred until the end of the 19th century.

According to Professor Richard Hoyle, Chairman of Victoria County History Shropshire, "Wem is an archetypal medieval-planned castle town and as such, can take its place alongside the best examples in England".

Wem is reputed to have "treacle mines", although It is not possible to mine treacle. Two explanations have been offered for this legend: that a confectioners shop, despite the rationing and food shortages of the Second World War was apparently always in stock of candy; alternatively the byproduct of the tanning industry within the town was considered to resemble treacle.