Gustine is located 29 miles (47 km) west of Merced,[5] at an elevation of 98 feet (30 m).

Gustine is located in the San Joaquin Valley at 37°15′28″N 120°59′56″W / 37.25778°N 120.99889°W / 37.25778; -120.99889[3] at an elevation of about 31 m (101 ft) above MSL.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km2), all of it land.

[6] Gustine was established in the early 1900s as a station on the Southern Pacific Railroad and named after Sara Miller, nicknamed "Gussie", the daughter of Henry Miller, the "Cattle King", an early California land baron and Agricultural pioneer.

Gustine High School is home to the longest running basketball tournament in the state of California, which is put on by the city's Rotary Club.

Most can trace their ancestry back to the Azores, but the Portuguese-speaking community also welcomes many families from mainland Portugal and Brazil.

This is shown by a large turnout in the yearly OLM (Our Lady of Miracles) Portuguese Festa when over 20,000 people from around Gustine and far away come to visit.

In addition, Morningstar Distributing, Hillview Packing, Pusateri Nut Company, and Ingomar Tomato Plant, and Wolfsens' Meat and Sausage are significant businesses in the area.

As agricultural land becomes covered by housing developments, Gustine is becoming a bedroom community to the San Francisco Bay Area, a 1½ hour commute away.

[12] The nearby San Luis National Wildlife Refuge (formerly Kesterson Wildlife Refuge), experienced an accumulation of selenium due to its location at the terminus of the incomplete San Luis Drain.

Wildlife in this region developed a number of deformities,[13] drawing the attention of news media and leading to the closure of the refuge.

The service connects Gustine with Los Banos and Dos Palos, and other communities on the west side of Merced County.

[16] The city is also served by Stanislaus Regional Transit Authority route 45W providing connections Monday through Saturday to Newman, Crows Landing, and Patterson.