This Background Report is an integral part of the City of Guadalupe Community Plan. It summarizes of the existing (2009) conditions of Guadalupe, California and describes issues relevant to the update of the General Plan. Thus, it provides a starting point for the Community Plan and a context for examining the constraints and opportunities for meeting the community’s needs over the next twenty years. In this way, it serves as the informational basis on which the goals, policies, and programs of the Plan are based. This information was gathered by students in the City and Regional Planning Department at California Polytechnic State University through an existing plan and policy audit, interviews with public officials and City residents, and community workshops. The report summarizes the planning process, and the status and trends of ten topics that are crucial to understanding the City as it exists today and how it may develop in the future. These topics include: demographics and economic development, land use, circulation, housing, public facilities and services, conservation, open space, safety, noise, and community design and sense of place. The Community Plan will be completed by April 2009. It will be submitted to the City for its use as a resource to help citizens improve the town’s economy, housing, public facilities and services, and quality of life. The following summary briefly describes existing conditions in January 2009, key findings, and “emerging directions” for the City.