Between 1977 and 1983 women's league football in Norway was organized on a county and regional basis.
In 1986, a fourth group representing Nord-Norge was added, and the number of teams in the league increased to forty.
The new 1. divisjon remained the top tier of Norwegian women's football until 1995.
For the 2001 season the 1. divisjon was greatly reduced in size and it once again became single nationwide division.
It initially featured nine teams, gradually adding a tenth before expanding to twelve for the 2009 season.