The newspaper was formed in 1995 from the merger of the North County Blade-Citizen of Oceanside (founded 1929) and the Escondido Times-Advocate (founded 1909) by Howard Publications. Beginning in 1997, the Times also published The Californian in Temecula, located in southwest Riverside County.
The newspaper was established in 1995 through the merger of two newspapers: the North County Blade-Citizen of Oceanside (founded 1929) and the Escondido Times-Advocate (founded 1909).  In 1997, The Times began publishing a third paper, The Californian, in Temecula.