Long-Term Debt and Credit Facilities (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014 CenturyLink, Inc. Senior notes	Dec. 31, 2013 CenturyLink, Inc. Senior notes	Jun. 30, 2014 CenturyLink, Inc. Senior notes Minimum	Jun. 30, 2014 CenturyLink, Inc. Senior notes Maximum	Jun. 30, 2014 CenturyLink, Inc. Credit facility	Dec. 31, 2013 CenturyLink, Inc. Credit facility	Jun. 30, 2014 CenturyLink, Inc. Credit facility Minimum	Jun. 30, 2014 CenturyLink, Inc. Credit facility Maximum	Jun. 30, 2014 CenturyLink, Inc. Term loan	Dec. 31, 2013 CenturyLink, Inc. Term loan	Jun. 30, 2014 Qwest Communications International Inc. Senior notes	Dec. 31, 2013 Qwest Communications International Inc. Senior notes	Jun. 30, 2014 Qwest Communications International Inc. Senior notes Minimum	Jun. 30, 2014 Qwest Communications International Inc. Senior notes Maximum	Jun. 30, 2014 Qwest Capital Funding, Inc. Senior notes	Jun. 30, 2014 Qwest Corporation Senior notes	Jun. 30, 2014 Embarq Senior notes	Dec. 31, 2013 Embarq Senior notes	Jun. 30, 2014 Embarq Senior notes Minimum	Jun. 30, 2014 Embarq Senior notes Maximum	Jun. 30, 2014 Embarq First mortgage bonds	Dec. 31, 2013 Embarq First mortgage bonds	Jun. 30, 2014 Embarq First mortgage bonds Minimum	Jun. 30, 2014 Embarq First mortgage bonds Maximum	Apr. 01, 2014 Embarq Notes, 7.460 percent due 2014	Jun. 30, 2014 Embarq Other	Dec. 31, 2013 Embarq Other
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities
Total long-term debt			$ 7,825	$ 7,825			$ 845	$ 725			$ 391	$ 402	$ 8,392	$ 8,392			$ 981	$ 7,411	$ 2,669	$ 2,669			$ 232	$ 262				$ 150	$ 150
Long-term debt, weighted average interest rate							2.642%	2.176%
Capital lease and other obligations	553	619
Unamortized (discounts) premiums and other, net	98	78
Total long-term debt	20,959	20,966
Less current maturities	(1,188)	(785)
Long-term debt, excluding current maturities	19,771	20,181
Stated interest rate (as a percent)					5.00%	7.65%									6.125%	8.375%					7.082%	7.995%			7.125%	8.77%	7.46%	9.00%
Interest rate at period end (percent)											2.40%
Interest rate at period end (percent)									2.16%	4.25%
Debt instrument, repurchased face amount																											$ 30