It serves the Kirksville and Adair County, Missouri area including the communities of Brashear and Novinger.

Edward Everett Swain, a native of Ewing, Illinois had considerable newspaper experience before coming to Kirksville.

[1] Early notable events in the newspapers' history include joining the United Press Association in 1915 and the coming of news via teletypewriter in 1928.

In 1990 the Daily Express was sold to American Publishing Company, although a Swain, E. E.'s grandson Tony, still remained as pressroom supervisor.

Faced with an aging offset press needing upgrade and growing consolidation in the newspaper industry, the decision was made in December, 2010 to shift printing of the Kirksville Daily Express to a sister Gatehouse Media operation in Hannibal, Missouri.