Guadalupe

Guadalupe is a small city located in Santa Barbara County, California. According to the 2010 Census, the city has a population slightly over 7,000. Guadalupe is economically and socially tied to the city of Santa Maria, which is about ten miles to the east. This region experiences warm and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 °F; a very similar climate as to its neighboring city, Santa Maria.

The landscape in the vicinity of the town is mostly flat, with the predominant land use being agriculture and oil production. Agriculture is by far the leading industry in Guadalupe. Apio Inc. and Obispo Cooling take produce in from the surrounding fields and prepare it for shipping to points across the nation as well as overseas.

Adjacent to the town are the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes, a large region of dune habitat along the Pacific Ocean shore. Filmmakers have used this region as a setting for several films, including scenes from Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End and Hidalgo have also been filmed here. The Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center serves as the education and research facility for the natural area.

After more than 20 years of waiting, construction is officially underway beginning on a development in Guadalupe that will add more than 800 homes on the 209-acre site. When completed, it is expected to boost the city's population — now slightly more than 7,000 — to the 10,000 that is considered the threshold for attracting chain stores and restaurants. In addition to homes, the plan includes a new school and commercial development.