Brea, city, Orange county, southwestern California, U.S. It lies at the foot of the Puente Hills, 30 miles (50 km) east of downtown Los Angeles. Early settlers collected chunks of the oil-soaked earth in the Brea (brea means “tar” or “pitch” in Spanish) canyon for fuel, and commercial oil production began in 1898 after successful strikes in the Brea and Olinda fields. The influx of oil field workers inspired the Ontario Investment Company to file a subdivision map in 1908 for a town to be called Randolph; this plan was refiled in 1911 to change the name to Brea. Prior to the 1940s, the city’s economy was dominated by oil-based industries. Subsequently, oil production declined, and the city became primarily a retail centre, with several major shopping malls. Inc. 1917. Pop. (2000) 35,410; (2010) 39,282.