Candelaria is a municipality located 112 kilometres south of Manila and approximately 23 kilometres from Lucena City , in Quezon province. It is traversed by the Daang Maharlika Highway and the Philippine National Railways. It borders on Mount Banahaw to the north, San Juan, Batangas to the south, Tiaong, Quezon to the west, and Sariaya, Quezon to the east. The municipality has a total area of 149 km².

Candelaria began as a series of barangays that were part of neighbouring municipalities. In 1885, the Governor General of the Philippine Islands granted a permit allowing for the establishment of an independent government, which would manage the barangays. Its boundaries were created through the signing of a treaty by the leaders of Tiaong, Sariaya, and the founding families of Candelaria.

In 1902, Candelaria sought the help of Sariayaya at a period when general hostilities against the Americans was on the downswing. In 1908, it became an independent fourth-class municipality.

During the American regime, the town grew, as homes and public buildings were constructed, and industry and commerce came to fruition. When the Japanese invaded during the Second World War, Candelaria's growth regressed and town became impoverished.

On June 6, 1946, Candelaria was liberated from the hold of the Japanese Imperial Army.

Today, Candelaria is widely acknowledged as the second-largest industrial centre, next to Lucena City. Among the municipalities in Quezon province, Candelaria has the most desiccated factories and oil refineries, both of which employ thousands of people.