diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a841288..58e43c6 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -30,4 +30,116 @@ Subset-Job related endpoints:
 ## Connections to other systems
 * Earthdata Login system
 * MySQL/MariaDB database
-* PODAAC L2SS services
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+* PODAAC L2SS services
+
+## Local development
+
+### 1. Setting Up MySQL with Docker
+
+#### Step 1: Pull the MySQL Docker Image
+
+Make sure you have Docker installed on your system. Then, pull the MySQL version 5 Docker image:
+
+```bash
+docker pull --platform linux/x86_64 mysql
+docker pull mysql:5
+```
+
+#### Step 2: Run the MySQL Docker Container
+
+Run a MySQL container with the desired configuration:
+
+```bash
+docker run --name hitide-mysql --platform linux/amd64 -e MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=my-secret-pw -d -p 3306:3306 mysql:5 
+```
+
+You can customize:
+
+- `--name hitide-mysql`: The name of the Docker container.
+- `-e MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=my-secret-pw`: The root password for MySQL.
+- `-p 3306:3306`: The port mapping, which maps port 3306 on your host to port 3306 in the container.
+
+#### Step 3: Verify the MySQL Container is Running
+
+Check the status of the running container:
+
+```bash
+docker ps
+```
+
+You should see your MySQL container listed.
+
+### 2. Creating the Database
+
+#### Step 1: Connect to the MySQL Instance
+
+Use your preferred MySQL client or the MySQL command-line tool to connect to the running MySQL instance:
+
+```bash
+mysql -h 127.0.0.1 -P 3306 -u root -p
+```
+
+You'll be prompted for the root password (my-secret-pw in this case).
+
+#### Step 2: Create the Database
+
+Once connected, create the database:
+
+```sql
+CREATE DATABASE hitide_profile;
+```
+
+### 3. Setting Up the Application
+
+#### Step 1: Configure Environment Variables
+
+Before running the setup script, configure the necessary environment variables. You can set these variables in your shell session or use a `.env` file. Here’s an example of how to set them:
+
+```bash
+export DATABASE_HOST=127.0.0.1
+export DATABASE_PORT=3306
+export DATABASE_NAME=hitide_profile
+export DATABASE_ADMIN=root
+export DATABASE_ADMIN_PASSWORD=my-secret-pw
+export DATABASE_USERNAME=hitide_user
+export DATABASE_PASSWORD=hitide_password
+```
+
+#### Step 2: Run the Setup Script
+
+Navigate to the hitide-profile root directory and run the setup script:
+
+```bash
+cd path/to/hitide-profile
+node mysql/setup-db.js
+```
+
+This script will:
+- Connect to the MySQL instance using the admin credentials.
+- Create a new user (specified by `DATABASE_USERNAME` and `DATABASE_PASSWORD`).
+- Set up the necessary tables in the `hitide_profile` database.
+
+### 4. Verifying the Setup
+
+#### Step 1: Check Database and Tables
+
+Reconnect to the MySQL instance and check the database and tables:
+
+```bash
+mysql -h 127.0.0.1 -P 3306 -u root -p
+```
+
+Then run:
+
+```sql
+USE hitide_profile;
+SHOW TABLES;
+```
+
+You should see the tables created by the setup script.
+
+### Note:
+In HiTIDE UI code in the **hitideConfig.js** file, make sure you set the **hitideProfileOrigin** variable to where your local hitide-profile instance is running so the frontend knows where to find hitide-profile. For example:
+```
+var hitideProfileOrigin = "http://localhost:8080/hitide/api";
+```
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