Guadalupe, California
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Guadalupe is a small city located in
Santa Barbara County, California Santa Barbara County, officially the County of Santa Barbara (), is a County (United States), county located in Southern California. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 448,229. The county seat is Santa Barbara, California ...
. According to the 2010 census, the city has a population of 7,080. Guadalupe is economically and socially tied to the city of Santa Maria, which is about 8 miles (13 km) to the east. It is located at the intersection of Highway 1 and Highway 166, immediately south of the Santa Maria River, and 5 miles (8 km) east of the
Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...
.McCormack, Don (1999). ''McCormack's Guides Santa Barbara and Ventura 2000''. Mccormacks Guides. Page 53. .


History

The first European land exploration of
Alta California Alta California (, ), also known as Nueva California () among other names, was a province of New Spain formally established in 1804. Along with the Baja California peninsula, it had previously comprised the province of , but was made a separat ...
, the Spanish
Portolá expedition thumbnail, 250px, Point of San Francisco Bay Discovery The Portolá expedition was a Spanish voyage of exploration in 1769–1770 that was the first recorded European exploration of the interior of the present-day California. It was led by Gas ...
, camped near today's Guadalupe on September 1, 1769.
Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...
missionary and expedition member
Juan Crespí Juan Crespí, OFM (Catalan language, Catalan: ''Joan Crespí''; 1 March 1721 – 1 January 1782) was a Franciscan missionary and explorer of The Californias, Las Californias. Biography A native of Majorca, Crespí entered the Franciscan ord ...
noted in his diary that they found "a very large lake". The lake has since mostly filled in, leaving a low-lying plain traversed by the Santa Maria River and several tributaries. When Mission La Purisima was established in 1787, the area became part of the mission's pasture land. In 1840, following
secularization In sociology, secularization () is a multilayered concept that generally denotes "a transition from a religious to a more worldly level." There are many types of secularization and most do not lead to atheism or irreligion, nor are they automatica ...
of the mission, the area became part of the
Rancho Guadalupe Rancho Guadalupe was a Mexican land grant in present-day northwestern Santa Barbara County and southwestern San Luis Obispo County, California given in 1840 by Governor Juan B. Alvarado to Diego Olivera and Teodoro Arellanes. The grant extende ...
land grant. Rancho Guadalupe was settled by pioneers of many unique backgrounds, such as European, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, and Mexican. The small town was incorporated as the city of Guadalupe on May 19, 1946. The city name honors
Our Lady of Guadalupe Our Lady of Guadalupe (), also known as the Virgin of Guadalupe (), is a Catholic title of the Blessed Virgin Mary associated with four Marian apparitions to Juan Diego and one to his uncle, Juan Bernardino reported in December 1531, when t ...
, which is the Catholic title given to the
Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...
. An ongoing construction development along the south side of town will add more than 800 homes. The project, Pasadera Homes, was first announced in 1993 and has undergone several delays. The city annexed the in 1995. When completed, it is expected to boost the city's population 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. The city faced economic troubles in the late 2000s and early 2010s; in 2015, a
grand jury A grand jury is a jury empowered by law to conduct legal proceedings, investigate potential criminal conduct, and determine whether criminal charges should be brought. A grand jury may subpoena physical evidence or a person to testify. A grand ju ...
urged the city to dissolve. Voters overwhelmingly approved the passage of three new tax and fee measures, which, along with the aforementioned residential and commercial developments, helped stabilize the city's economy.


Geography

Guadalupe is located in the northwestern extremity of
Santa Barbara County Santa Barbara County, officially the County of Santa Barbara (), is a county located in Southern California. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 448,229. The county seat is Santa Barbara, and the largest city is Santa M ...
, immediately south of the Santa Maria River. The landscape in the vicinity of the town is mostly flat, with the predominant land use being agriculture and oil production. Hills rise to the south of the town; on the other side of the hills is
Vandenberg Space Force Base Vandenberg Space Force Base , previously Vandenberg Air Force Base, is a United States Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California. Established in 1941, Vandenberg Space Force Base is a space launch base, launching spacecraft from the ...
. West of town, both in Santa Barbara County and north in adjacent
San Luis Obispo County San Luis Obispo County (), officially the County of San Luis Obispo, is a county on the Central Coast of California. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 282,424. The county seat is San Luis Obispo. Junípero Serra fou ...
, is the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes, a large region of dune habitat along the Pacific Ocean shore. The Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center serves as the education and research facility for the natural area. According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , 99.60% of it land and 0.40% of it water. The town consists of a tight cluster of buildings, surrounded completely by agricultural land.


Climate

This region experiences mildly warm and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 °F. According to the
Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
system, Guadalupe has a
warm-summer Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...
, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.


Demographics


2020

The 2020 United States census reported that Guadalupe had a population of 8,057. The population density was . The racial makeup of Guadalupe was 27.4%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.6%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 4.5% Native American, 3.1% Asian, 0.2%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 43.6% from other races, and 20.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 88.1% of the population. The whole population lived in households. There were 2,063 households, out of which 57.8% included children under the age of 18, 53.4% were married-couple households, 9.3% were
cohabiting Cohabitation is an arrangement where people who are not legally married live together as a couple. They are often involved in a romantic or sexually intimate relationship on a long-term or permanent basis. Such arrangements have become incr ...
couple households, 23.5% had a female householder with no partner present, and 13.9% had a male householder with no partner present. 9.1% of households were one person, and 4.7% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.91. There were 1,764
families Family (from ) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictability, structure, and safety as ...
(85.5% of all households). The age distribution was 31.2% under the age of 18, 10.8% aged 18 to 24, 28.1% aged 25 to 44, 20.0% aged 45 to 64, and 9.9% who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 30.2years. For every 100 females, there were 99.8 males. There were 2,119 housing units at an average density of , of which 2,063 (97.4%) were occupied. Of these, 53.5% were owner-occupied, and 46.5% were occupied by renters. In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that 30.2% of the population were foreign-born. Of all people aged 5 or older, 29.0% spoke only English at home, 66.3% spoke
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
, 1.6% spoke Asian or Pacific Islander languages, and 3.2% spoke other languages. Of those aged 25 or older, 57.1% were high school graduates and 11.1% had a bachelor's degree. The median household income in 2023 was $71,048, and the
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
was $22,110. About 22.2% of families and 28.3% of the population were below the poverty line.


2010

The 2010 United States Census reported that Guadalupe had a population of 7,080. The population density was . The racial makeup of Guadalupe was 3,395 (48.0%)
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 74 (1.0%)
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 103 (1.5%) Native American, 279 (3.9%) Asian, 5 (0.1%)
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 2,783 (39.3%) from other races, and 441 (6.2%) from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 6,103 persons (86.2%). The Census reported that 7,080 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized. There were 1,810 households, out of which 1,073 (59.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,005 (55.5%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 369 (20.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 174 (9.6%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 143 (7.9%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 10 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 213 households (11.8%) were made up of individuals, and 93 (5.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.91. There were 1,548
families Family (from ) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictability, structure, and safety as ...
(85.5% of all households); the average family size was 4.11. The population was spread out, with 2,424 people (34.2%) under the age of 18, 797 people (11.3%) aged 18 to 24, 1,930 people (27.3%) aged 25 to 44, 1,362 people (19.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 567 people (8.0%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.0 males. There were 1,887 housing units at an average density of , of which 936 (51.7%) were owner-occupied, and 874 (48.3%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.4%; the rental vacancy rate was 3.3%. 3,483 people (49.2% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 3,597 people (50.8%) lived in rental housing units.


Economy

Agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
is by far the leading industry in Guadalupe.McCormack, Don (1999). ''McCormack's Guides Santa Barbara and Ventura 2000''. Mccormacks Guides. Page 31. . It has the highest percentage of agricultural- and manufacturing workers in
Santa Barbara County Santa Barbara County, officially the County of Santa Barbara (), is a county located in Southern California. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 448,229. The county seat is Santa Barbara, and the largest city is Santa M ...
: 31% are employed in the agriculture sector, while 24% have manufacturing jobs. Apio Inc. and Obispo Cooling take
produce In American English, produce generally refers to wikt:fresh, fresh List of culinary fruits, fruits and Vegetable, vegetables intended to be Eating, eaten by humans, although other food products such as Dairy product, dairy products or Nut (foo ...
in from the surrounding fields and prepare it for shipping to points across the nation as well as overseas. The majority of the small businesses in town can be found on Guadalupe Street. For half a century, the city was home to the famous Far Western Tavern (formerly the Palace Hotel), until it relocated to Old Town Orcutt in 2012, following the death of founder and philanthropist Clarence Minetti. The Far Western building has since been donated to the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center. It was placed on the state's Register of Historic Resources in 2019.
Groceries A grocery store (American English, AE), grocery shop or grocer's shop (British English, BE) or simply grocery is a retail store that primarily retails a general range of food Product (business), products, which may be Fresh food, fresh or Food p ...
can be bought at La Chiquita Market and at the historic Masatani's Market, which has been owned and operated by the Masatani family since 1922. There is a public
library A library is a collection of Book, books, and possibly other Document, materials and Media (communication), media, that is accessible for use by its members and members of allied institutions. Libraries provide physical (hard copies) or electron ...
on Main Street as well as many shops, businesses and services.


Arts and culture

Guadalupe is a small town with a diverse culture and history. In addition to the Dunes Center, the town contains an art museum, the Rancho de Guadalupe Historical Society, a public
library A library is a collection of Book, books, and possibly other Document, materials and Media (communication), media, that is accessible for use by its members and members of allied institutions. Libraries provide physical (hard copies) or electron ...
, veteran's memorial, and the Masatani Mansion. Nuestra Señora De Guadalupe is the main
Catholic church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
, located on 11th Street and Obispo Street. There are three other
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
churches in town, as well as a
Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
temple. The historic building occupied by city hall and the police department used to be an elementary school. There is a very small jail building at the park near the train tracks where the water tower stands. Every year on September 16, there is a parade on Guadalupe Street to celebrate Mexico's independence from Spain. Guadalupe is also home to the historic Royal Theater, which was a single-screen 510-seat
movie theater A movie theater (American English) or cinema (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English), also known as a movie house, cinema hall, picture house, picture theater, the movies, the pictures, or simply theater, is a business ...
, located on Highway 1. Built in 1939, the Royal was originally owned and managed by
Japanese-American are Americans of Japanese ancestry. Japanese Americans were among the three largest Asian American ethnic communities during the 20th century; but, according to the 2000 census, they have declined in ranking to constitute the sixth largest Asi ...
businessmen Arthur Fukuda, Jack Takeuchi, and Kiyozo Noji, who were relocated to
internment camps Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simp ...
in 1942. The theater was then operated under a number of owners until its closure and acquisition by the city in the 1990s. Since then, there have been several plans to refurbish the building in an effort to revitalize the downtown area. Currently, the city plans to repurpose the building as a community arts center, and to have the site registered as an
historic landmark A historic site or heritage site is an official location where pieces of political, military, cultural, or social history have been preserved due to their cultural heritage value. Historic sites are usually protected by law, and many have been rec ...
. Former President and then-Republican Party nominee
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...
and his wife Laura paid visit to Guadalupe, eating at La Simpatia restaurant as part of a two-day campaign trip during the 2000 election.


Parks and recreation

There is a beach near Guadalupe at the end of Main Street that is part of the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes. Oso Flaco Lake in Nipomo is also a part of this dunes complex and is a few miles north of Guadalupe; it features a
boardwalk A boardwalk (alternatively board walk, boarded path, or promenade) is an elevated footpath, walkway, or causeway typically built with wooden planks, which functions as a type of low water bridge or small viaduct that enables pedestrians to ...
that goes over the lake and leads to the Guadalupe beach. South of Guadalupe on Highway 1 and right on Brown Road is Point Sal Road, which was closed due to heavy storms and has become a hiking trail through the coastal mountains. At the end of the , which passes through
Vandenberg Space Force Base Vandenberg Space Force Base , previously Vandenberg Air Force Base, is a United States Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California. Established in 1941, Vandenberg Space Force Base is a space launch base, launching spacecraft from the ...
, is the isolated Point Sal State Beach. Between Guadalupe Beach and Point Sal Beach is the even more isolated Paradise Beach, near Mussel Rock. Parks in the area include Jack O'Connell Park, where the Bulldogs youth
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
team practices. LeRoy Park, the community center for the city and the home of the local Boys & Girls Club, sits near the town's northern city limit, and is the oldest community park in Santa Barbara County; the land was donated in 1871 by the LeRoy family, and the park is currently undergoing a major revitalization project. The Guadalupe
Wrestling Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves di ...
Club was established in 1979 for the youth and has produced numerous state champions over the years. The Guadalupe Police Department runs the Gladiator's club, which provides peer-to-peer mentoring for fifth and sixth grade youth. The Boys & Girls Club and the Riverview apartment tutoring program provide places for children to go after school.


Education

The Guadalupe Union School District operates two schools: Mary Buren Elementary and Kermit McKenzie
Junior High School Middle school, also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school, is an educational stage between primary school and secondary school. Afghanistan In Afghanistan, middle school includes ...
. In state rankings, the two schools are in the 20th percentile. Mary Buren Elementary is
kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...
to
fifth grade Fifth grade (also 5th Grade or Grade 5) is the fifth or sixth year of formal or compulsory education. In the United States, this is mostly the last grade of primary school, but for some states, it could be the first year of middle school. Primary ...
and McKenzie Junior High is
sixth grade Sixth grade (also 6th grade or grade 6) is the sixth year of formal or compulsory education. Students in sixth grade are usually 11-12 years old. It is commonly the first or second grade of middle school or the last grade of elementary school, an ...
to eighth grade. The mascot of both schools is the
bobcat The bobcat (''Lynx rufus''), also known as the wildcat, bay lynx, or red lynx, is one of the four extant species within the medium-sized wild cat genus '' Lynx''. Native to North America, it ranges from southern Canada through most of the c ...
. There is also a
preschool A preschool (sometimes spelled as pre school or pre-school), also known as nursery school, pre-primary school, play school, is an school, educational establishment or learning space offering early childhood education to children before they ...
run by the Community Action Commission of Santa Barbara County.


Transportation

Guadalupe is at the intersection of
California State Route 1 State Route 1 (SR 1) is a major north–south state highway A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either Route number, ...
and 166, providing easy access to cities north, east, and south, the largest of which is nearby Santa Maria. Amtrak runs through town, and the
Guadalupe station Guadalupe station (also known as Guadalupe–Santa Maria) is an Amtrak train station in the city of Guadalupe, California Guadalupe is a small city located in Santa Barbara County, California. According to the 2010 United States census, ...
is on the
Pacific Surfliner The ''Pacific Surfliner'' is a passenger train service serving the communities on the coast of Southern California between San Diego and San Luis Obispo. The ''Pacific Surfliner'' is Amtrak's third-busiest service (exceeded in ridership only ...
route. There is a large pedestrian bridge in the residential area, which gives an easy way for people to cross the tracks which split the town just east of Highway 1. The Guadalupe Flyer bus runs routes to Santa Maria hourly.


In popular culture

Filmmakers have used the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes as a setting for several films, including
Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American filmmaker and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of American cinema and the most co ...
's 1923
Ten Commandments The Ten Commandments (), or the Decalogue (from Latin , from Ancient Greek , ), are religious and ethical directives, structured as a covenant document, that, according to the Hebrew Bible, were given by YHWH to Moses. The text of the Ten ...
and in 1998 ''
The Odd Couple II ''The Odd Couple II'' is a 1998 American buddy comedy film and the sequel to the 1968 film '' The Odd Couple''. It is the final film written and produced by Neil Simon, starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. Released nearly three decades lat ...
''. Scenes from '' Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End'' and '' Hidalgo'' have also been filmed here. In 1993 the town was featured in ''
California's Gold ''California's Gold'' was a public television human interest program that explores the natural, cultural, and historical features of California. The series ran for 24 seasons beginning in 1991, and was produced and hosted by Huell Howser in coll ...
'' episode 401, "Buried Treasure". The episode centered around the set of '' The Ten Commandments'' buried underneath the Guadalupe Dunes.


References


External links


Official Website of the City of Guadalupe California
Portal style website, Government, Business, Library, Recreation and more

Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Guadalupe
Official website of the Guadalupe Dunes County Park (also called Rancho Guadalupe Dunes)VisitGuadalupe.org
Tourism Information and the official site of the Guadalupe Business Association {{authority control Incorporated cities and towns in California Cities in Santa Barbara County, California