Gusev crater has a complex history beginning with its formation by an impact in the Noachian Period and subsequent evolution, including erosion and deposition associated with Ma'adim Vallis, which cut through Gusev crater from the south. Various wind-related features are found on the crater floor, including albedo patterns, bedforms (such as barchan dunes), and elongated hills possibly reflecting erosion by the wind. Comparisons of the orientations of these features with predictions from global and atmospheric models show wind patterns as functions of season and time of day. Strongest global winds occur out of the southeast in the late fall and early winter and appear to be responsible for the formation of a large dark streak that drapes 100 km across the crater floor. On an intermediate-scale, bright wind streaks correlate with nighttime winds that flow into the crater from the rim and outlying high areas; these streaks are interpreted to be deposits of dust settled from the atmosphere during times of positive atmospheric static stability. Smaller features include various dark streaks and duneforms, the orientations of which are inferred to represent local zones of high wind-shear surface stress. These features also tend to correlate with strong afternoon upslope winds caused by the uneven heating of the atmosphere across the crater. Thus the large dark streak reflects global-scale wind patterns, the smaller dark features and duneforms represent flow of strong winds out of the crater in the afternoon, and the small bright streaks represent deposition of dust associated with nighttime flow of wind into the crater. The correlation between the wind regime predicted by the models and the orientations of the aeolian features gives confidence that the models are essentially correct. Because Gusev is a prime candidate landing site for landers, including the Mars Exploration Rovers, understanding the interplay of the atmosphere and the surface (including the erosion and deposition of windblown particles) is important in assessments of the science potential for these missions. Despite the abundance of wind-related features on the floor of Gusev, only about 1.2% of the proposed landing ellipse area is covered with organized bedforms (e.g., dunes), although mantles of sand and dust are also likely to be present. On the basis of an analysis of random landing points within the ellipse, traverse distances to ridges, ejecta from small craters, and other potential sources of rocks are within 150 m traverse distance for 95% of the touchdown points.