Guadalupe

Sister cities

• Marugame

History

The first European land exploration of Alta California, the Spanish Portolá expedition, camped near today's Guadalupe on September 1, 1769. Franciscan missionary and expedition member Juan Crespí 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 of the missions by the Mexican government and subsequent issuance of land grants, the area became part of the Rancho Guadalupe land grant. Rancho Guadalupe was first settled by pioneers of Mexican and Spanish descent, and later, other immigrants from many unique backgrounds followed, such as the Anglo Americans, Japanese, Chinese, and Filipinos. The small town was incorporated as the city of Guadalupe on May 19, 1946. The city name honors Our Lady of Guadalupe, which is the Catholic title given to the Virgin Mary. 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 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.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• House Finch

  Haemorhous mexicanus (P.L.Statius Müller, 1776) · Aves
  5,255
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  5,073
• Black Phoebe

  Sayornis nigricans (Swainson, 1827) · Aves
  4,863
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  4,728
• Anna's Hummingbird

  Calypte anna (R.Lesson, 1829) · Aves
  4,520
• American Coot

  Fulica americana Gmelin, 1789 · Aves
  4,277
• California/Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay

  Aphelocoma californica (Vigors, 1839) · Aves
  4,143
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,920

Largest nearby schools

• Pioneer Valley High
  High · Santa Maria · 3,220 students · 24.4:1 ratio
• Santa Maria High
  High · Santa Maria · 3,196 students · 22.8:1 ratio
• Kunst (Tommie) Junior High
  Middle · Santa Maria · 1,030 students · 18.4:1 ratio
• Fesler (Isaac) Junior High
  Middle · Santa Maria · 959 students · 18.8:1 ratio
• Bruce (Robert) Elementary
  Elementary · Santa Maria · 951 students · 22.1:1 ratio
• Jimenez Roberto and Dr. Francisco Elementary
  Elementary · Santa Maria · 938 students · 23.4:1 ratio
• Alvin Elementary
  Elementary · Santa Maria · 914 students · 23.4:1 ratio
• Rice (William) Elementary
  Elementary · Santa Maria · 913 students · 24.7:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.54 — 2026-08-17
  12 km SSW of Lompoc, CA
• M 2.66 — 2026-08-17
  12 km S of Lompoc, CA
• M 2.53 — 2026-08-16
  7 km SW of Atascadero, CA
• M 2.53 — 2026-08-14
  12 km SSW of Lompoc, CA
• M 2.82 — 2026-08-09
  12 km SSW of Lompoc, CA
• M 2.51 — 2026-08-09
  13 km SSW of Lompoc, CA