Rakkestad Bygdeblad was started on 4 September 2002 as a competitor to Rakkestad Avis, which until then had a monopoly as a local newspaper.
Journalist Carsten Lier was hired as editor, and two years after launch the newspaper had a circulation of 1,441 copies.
[1] It was originally published on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, the same as Rakkestad Avis, but soon changed to Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
[1] In late 2004 the newspaper launched the free magazine Østfoldmagasinet, which had a circulation of 98,000 copies.
[3] From 2006 Rakkestad Bygdeblad was distributed on a fourth day in the week, freely, to counter economic problems.