Orange County Real Estate

City of Brea

Administrative Operating Hours
Civic & Cultural Center
1 Civic Center Circle - Brea, CA 92821
(714) 990-7600
Monday-Thursday - 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Alternate Friday – Closed

Brea, incorporated in 1917, was the eighth city in Orange County to do so. At the time of incorporation the population was a mere 752 residents. Today’s permanent residents number over 36,000, with the daytime population swelling to over 100,000.

For a time, the city was called Randolph, after Epes Randolph, an engineer for Pacific Electric Railway, a train that made regular stops in the area. The city got its present name due to the tar that seeped from the ground in the area, which made it logical for the Spanish to call this city Brea, which is ‘tar’ in Spanish. 

HISTORY OF BREA
Spanish explorer, Gaspar de Portola visited this area, a plateau next to the foothills, in July of 1769, on his way to Monterey. There he found that Native American Indians, as well as pioneers, used the area’s natural tar for a variety of purposes from fuel to medicine. But the real making of Brea was later when oil was discovered. 

The discovery of oil in the area led to a ‘black gold’ rush. There was an influx of oil field workers, which increased the population of the town and spilled over to Olinda. It wasn’t long until the tent cities were replaced by permanent housing. The stage was set when Abel Stearns sold 1,200 acres of his property to the Union Oil Company in 1894. When a drill hit oil in 1898 the rush was on.

Today, The City of Brea covers a little more than 10 square miles and includes 7 ½ square miles of unincorporated land in hills to the north. The area rests between the gently rolling hills of Carbon Canyon and extending to Chino Hills in the east.

EDUCATION
The Brea Olinda Unified School District operates six elementary schools, one junior high school, a high school, and an alternative high school. 

All of the schools consistently score above the 90th percentile in state and national achievement tests with several schools being recognized as “Blue Ribbon” and “Distinguished” schools. The new, Brea Olinda High School campus is equipped with state of the art computer labs, a professional performing arts center, and complete athletic facilities.

Upper level education is also offered in the area. There are two universities and a number of technical and vocational schools while several other, recognized universities, are in close proximity to Brea.

DEMOGRAPHICS 
The current stable population is 36,857 with the daytime population of visitors, employees and shoppers bringing the average daily population to over 100,000 within an 11.1 square mile incorporated city. The average mean temperature is a mild 62.2 degrees Celsius with rainfall averaging 15.9 inches per year.

ECONOMY 
Brea boasts a strong commercial and industrial tax base that includes manufacturing, service industries and retail as well as professional corporations, which provides a high level of public services.

To create a vibrant and people-friendly downtown there are currently plans for redevelopment of the old downtown area; preservation some of the historical buildings through renovation, and reconstruction of other well-known buildings lost through time. There are also plans to develop a 22 - acre shopping center and a cottage neighborhood.

Brea is a wonderful place to live and work. Here you can find every type of entertainment venue, shopping adventure, business, or service you could imagine. They have a large selection of recreational offerings such as swimming, health center, community center and more. The residents of Brea are happy to call the City home. 

City website: http://www.ci.brea.ca.us/  

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