PA 462 enters West Hempfield Township in Lancaster County as it begins crossing the river from the western bank. Upon reaching the eastern bank of the Susquehanna River, PA 462 heads into the borough of Columbia and passes over Norfolk Southern's Port Road Branch and PA 441 before descending off the Veterans Memorial Bridge and heading northeast into industrial areas on Chestnut Street. The route crosses North 3rd Street, which provides access to US 30 and PA 441, and heads into residential areas, turning southeast onto North 5th Street. PA 462 continues southeast onto Lancaster Avenue and passes more homes. The road gains a center left-turn lane and runs through more residential areas with a few businesses, crossing the Columbia and Reading Railway at-grade. The route heads past more businesses and some industry to the north of the road before it leaves Columbia for West Hempfield Township, where the name becomes Columbia Avenue. PA 462 continues through a mix of farmland and residential subdivisions, curving northeast. The road intersects Prospect Road south of an interchange with the US 30 freeway and passes near residential and commercial development and some fields before it enters the borough of Mountville. The route narrows to two lanes and is lined with homes as it heads east through the borough along Main Street. PA 462 comes to a bridge over Norfolk Southern's Columbia Secondary and continues through residential areas before it leaves Mountville and becomes the border between West Hempfield Township to the north and Manor Township to the south, with the name changing back to Columbia Avenue and the center left-turn lane returning. The road passes through a mix of homes and businesses, becoming the border between East Hempfield Township to the north and Manor Township to the south. The route continues east through residential and commercial development with nearby rural land. Farther east, PA 462 passes homes before it reaches an intersection with PA 741, where it is briefly a divided highway. The road heads into business areas and regains the center left-turn lane, passing a mix of homes and businesses in the communities of Wheatland and West Lancaster. The route crosses Little Conestoga Creek into Lancaster Township and runs through wooded suburban residential neighborhoods, passing north of the WGAL television studios.