Quad-City Times
A daily regional newspaper based in Davenport, Iowa, serving the Quad Cities metropolitan area across Iowa and Illinois.
Last updated August 25, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
The Quad-City Times is a regional daily newspaper headquartered in Davenport, Iowa, serving the interconnected communities commonly known as the Quad Cities on both sides of the Mississippi River. Its principal circulation territory includes Davenport, Bettendorf and Scott County in Iowa, together with Moline, East Moline, Rock Island and Rock Island County in Illinois. The paper also reaches readers in surrounding counties, including Cedar, Clinton, Jackson, Louisa and Muscatine counties in Iowa and Carroll, Henry, Mercer and Whiteside counties in Illinois. The publication traces its institutional history to several nineteenth-century newspapers. One important predecessor was the Democratic Banner, founded in 1848. After a change of ownership in 1855, it became the Iowa State Democrat and later evolved through several masthead and organizational changes into the Davenport Democrat. Another predecessor, the Blue Ribbon News, began publication in 1878 and was later known as the Davenport Daily Times. In 1899, the latter was acquired by A. W. Lee, the founder of Lee Enterprises, establishing an ownership connection that remains central to the newspaper's history. The Davenport Democrat acquired the Davenport Leader in 1905 and adopted the name Davenport Democrat & Leader. Lee Enterprises purchased the newspaper in 1915. The Davenport name was removed from the masthead in 1937, and the title became Morning Democrat in 1951. The two principal newspaper lineages were eventually combined as Times-Democrat in 1964. As its readership and distribution expanded throughout eastern Iowa and western Illinois, the newspaper adopted the Quad-City Times name in 1974. The brand has operated both as a print newspaper and as a digital news publisher. It reports local government, education, business, public safety, sports, arts and community affairs, while receiving some state political coverage through Lee Enterprises bureaus in Des Moines and Springfield. Its print operation has also supported specialized editions, inserts and related publications. The Bettendorf News, once a stand-alone weekly, became a recurring weekly section distributed with the newspaper in parts of the Bettendorf-area market. Former supplements and related products included On the River, QC BizNet, the Quad-City Business Journal, The Rock Island News, WINC. and Your Mom. The newspaper has periodically invested in production technology. It described itself as the first all-electronic newspaper in 1973, introduced electronic pagination in 1988 and adopted all-digital photography by 1994. In December 1989, it moved into a purpose-built facility at 500 East Third Street in Davenport. The complex included press, mail, warehouse and editorial functions and also housed Trico, Lee Enterprises' commercial printing operation. The Quad-City Times has received Penney-Missouri Awards for General Excellence in 1965, 1971 and 1977. Its editorial standards received public attention in 2014 when it discontinued a nationally syndicated conservative column after reporting that the credited writer, L. Brent Bozell III, had used ghostwriters. In November 2025, according to the supplied reference material, the newspaper shifted to a six-day print schedule by eliminating the Monday print edition. Its continuing model combines regional reporting, print distribution, web publishing and selected special sections.
History
The Quad-City Times developed from a succession of newspapers serving Davenport and the wider Mississippi River region. Its oldest identified predecessor, the Democratic Banner, began in 1848. In 1855, a group of business owners acquired the paper and renamed it the Iowa State Democrat. Under changing publishers and titles, the publication expanded gradually; by the end of the nineteenth century it was known as the Davenport Democrat, with reported daily and weekly circulation. A second major lineage began with the Blue Ribbon News, founded in 1878. By 1886 it had become the Davenport Daily Times. Although the paper experienced financial and competitive difficulties, A. W. Lee purchased it in 1899 for $120,000. Lee was the founder of the company that became Lee Enterprises, making the Times lineage an early part of the corporate family's newspaper portfolio. In 1905, the Davenport Democrat purchased the Davenport Leader and became the Davenport Democrat & Leader. Lee Enterprises acquired the newspaper in 1915. Ralph W. Cram subsequently served as editor and publisher until 1940. The word Davenport disappeared from the masthead in 1937, and the title was changed to Morning Democrat in 1951. The two principal newspaper operations continued to develop before merging as Times-Democrat in 1964. The combined newspaper adopted the Quad-City Times name in 1974, reflecting its expanded role in a metropolitan area spanning Iowa and Illinois. Its primary market came to include Davenport and Bettendorf on the Iowa side and Moline, East Moline and Rock Island on the Illinois side. The paper also developed readership in numerous adjacent counties and periodically produced geographically targeted editions, including an Illinois Edition, a Gateway Edition for the Clinton area and an afternoon edition for Davenport and Bettendorf. These editions were later discontinued. Production technology has been an important part of the newspaper's development. The paper identified itself as the first all-electronic newspaper in 1973. It introduced electronic pagination in 1988 and moved toward all-digital photography by 1994. In December 1989, the operation moved to a new Davenport facility at 500 East Third Street. The building incorporated a five-story press room, mail and warehouse facilities, editorial offices and Trico, a commercial printing operation. Alongside its core newspaper, the company produced local supplements and niche publications. The Bettendorf News, which had operated as a separate weekly for many years, was later incorporated as a weekly section distributed with copies of the Quad-City Times in Bettendorf, Le Claire, Pleasant Valley and Riverdale. Other products included On the River, a Mississippi River-oriented journal; QC BizNet and the Quad-City Business Journal; The Rock Island News; WINC., aimed at women entrepreneurs and business leaders; and Your Mom, a publication for teenagers. These projects were discontinued at different times. The paper's editorial and production history includes several recognitions. It won Penney-Missouri Awards for General Excellence in 1965, 1971 and 1977. In 2014, the newspaper terminated a column by L. Brent Bozell III after reporting that the credited author had relied on ghostwriters. In November 2025, the supplied reference material records a reduction to six printed editions per week through removal of the Monday print edition, reflecting the continuing adjustment of regional newspapers to changing production and readership patterns.
- 2025
Monday print edition eliminated
[1]The newspaper moved to six printed editions per week by ending its Monday print edition.
- 2014
Bozell column removed
[1]The paper dropped L. Brent Bozell III's column after a ghostwriting disclosure.
- 1989
Davenport production facility opens
[1]The newspaper moved into its current facility at 500 East Third Street in December.
- 1988
Electronic pagination introduced
[1]The production operation introduced electronic pagination.
- 1974
Quad-City Times name adopted
[1]The newspaper adopted its current name as its regional circulation expanded.
- 1973
All-electronic newspaper operation
[1]The newspaper became an early adopter of an all-electronic production process.
- 1964
Times-Democrat merger
[1]The two principal predecessor newspaper operations were combined under the Times-Democrat name.
- 1915
Lee Enterprises acquires the newspaper
[1]Lee Enterprises purchased the Davenport newspaper lineage.
- 1905
Davenport Democrat acquires Davenport Leader
[1]The acquisition produced the Davenport Democrat & Leader.
- 1899
A. W. Lee acquires the Davenport Daily Times
[1]A. W. Lee purchased the predecessor newspaper, linking it to the future Lee Enterprises group.
Products and positioning
A locally focused, cross-state regional news brand for the Quad Cities metropolitan area, combining community journalism with broader Iowa and Illinois coverage through the Lee Enterprises network.
Regional newspaper · 1974
Quad-City Times print edition
The core print newspaper provides local and regional reporting for communities in eastern Iowa and western Illinois. Coverage includes government, education, business, public safety, sports, culture and community affairs. Historically it circulated as a daily morning paper, with the supplied reference material recording a move to six print days per week in 2025.
Digital news service
qctimes.com
The newspaper's website extends Quad-City Times reporting to a digital audience. It supports continuous publication of local, regional and topical news alongside the newspaper's established print journalism. The site represents the brand's principal online presence.
Community newspaper section · 1927
Bettendorf News
Bettendorf News originated as a stand-alone weekly newspaper and was later incorporated into the Quad-City Times as a Thursday tabloid-sized section. It is distributed with newsstand and subscriber copies in Bettendorf and nearby communities, carrying local features, sports recaps and community news.
Printing service · 1989
Commercial printing
The Davenport production facility also housed Trico, a commercial printing operation associated with the newspaper and Lee Enterprises. This capability complemented newspaper production with printing infrastructure serving additional commercial needs.
Controversies
2014
L. Brent Bozell ghostwriting controversy
The newspaper reported that conservative columnist L. Brent Bozell III had presented work by designated ghostwriters under his own byline. Quad-City Times removed the column from its print and online pages, citing the publication's standards regarding authorship and attribution.
Brand decisions
2025
Reduce the print schedule to six daysStrategyBackground
The newspaper adjusted its print publishing model while maintaining its broader newspaper and digital operation.
Action taken
The Monday printed edition was eliminated.
Aftermath
The newspaper continued with six print days per week; further operational effects are not specified in the supplied source.
1974
Adopt the Quad-City Times regional identityStrategyBackground
Circulation had expanded beyond Davenport into eastern Iowa and western Illinois.
Action taken
The newspaper changed its name from Times-Democrat to Quad-City Times.
Aftermath
The name established the newspaper's identity as a cross-state Quad Cities publication.
1964
Combine the two principal predecessor newspapersM&ABackground
The Davenport Democrat and the Davenport Daily Times represented the two principal newspaper lineages serving the area.
Action taken
The operations were combined under the Times-Democrat name.
Aftermath
The combined publication later adopted the Quad-City Times name as its regional reach expanded.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/quad-city-times · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled