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Long-Term Debt and Credit Facilities (Details) (USD $)
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Feb. 20, 2015
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities      
Capital lease and other obligations $ 509ctl_CapitalLeaseAndOtherObligations $ 619ctl_CapitalLeaseAndOtherObligations  
Total long-term debt 20,782us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount [1]    
Unamortized premiums, discounts and other, net 111us-gaap_DebtInstrumentUnamortizedDiscountPremiumNet 78us-gaap_DebtInstrumentUnamortizedDiscountPremiumNet  
Total long-term debt 20,671us-gaap_DebtAndCapitalLeaseObligations 20,966us-gaap_DebtAndCapitalLeaseObligations  
Current maturities of long-term debt (550)us-gaap_LongTermDebtAndCapitalLeaseObligationsCurrent (785)us-gaap_LongTermDebtAndCapitalLeaseObligationsCurrent  
Long-term debt, excluding current maturities 20,121us-gaap_LongTermDebtAndCapitalLeaseObligations 20,181us-gaap_LongTermDebtAndCapitalLeaseObligations  
CenturyLink, Inc. | Senior notes      
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities      
Total long-term debt 7,825us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember		 7,825us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember		  
CenturyLink, Inc. | Credit facility      
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities      
Total long-term debt 725us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember		 725us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember		  
Weighted average interest rate (as a percent) 2.27%us-gaap_LongtermDebtWeightedAverageInterestRate
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember		 2.176%us-gaap_LongtermDebtWeightedAverageInterestRate
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember		  
CenturyLink, Inc. | Term loan      
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities      
Total long-term debt 380us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= ctl_TermLoanMember		 402us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= ctl_TermLoanMember		  
Term loan interest rate at period end (as a percent) 2.42%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateEffectivePercentage
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= ctl_TermLoanMember		    
Qwest Corporation | Senior notes      
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities      
Total long-term debt 7,311us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ctl_QwestCorporationMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember		 7,411us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ctl_QwestCorporationMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember		  
Qwest Capital Funding, Inc | Senior notes      
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities      
Total long-term debt 981us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ctl_QwestCapitalFundingIncMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember		 981us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ctl_QwestCapitalFundingIncMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember		  
Embarq Corporation | Senior notes      
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities      
Total long-term debt 2,669us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ctl_EmbarqMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember		 2,669us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ctl_EmbarqMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember		  
Embarq Corporation | First mortgage bonds      
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities      
Total long-term debt 232us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ctl_EmbarqMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_MortgagesMember		 262us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ctl_EmbarqMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_MortgagesMember		  
Embarq Corporation | Other      
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities      
Total long-term debt 150us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ctl_EmbarqMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_NotesPayableOtherPayablesMember		 150us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ctl_EmbarqMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_NotesPayableOtherPayablesMember		  
Interest rate, stated percentage (as a percent) 9.00%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ctl_EmbarqMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_NotesPayableOtherPayablesMember		    
Minimum | CenturyLink, Inc. | Senior notes      
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities      
Interest rate, stated percentage (as a percent) 5.00%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember		    
Minimum | CenturyLink, Inc. | Credit facility      
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities      
Credit facility interest rate at period end (as a percent) 1.91%us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityInterestRateAtPeriodEnd
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember		    
Minimum | Qwest Corporation | Senior notes      
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities      
Interest rate, stated percentage (as a percent) 6.125%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ctl_QwestCorporationMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember		    
Minimum | Qwest Capital Funding, Inc | Senior notes      
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities      
Interest rate, stated percentage (as a percent) 6.50%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ctl_QwestCapitalFundingIncMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember		    
Minimum | Embarq Corporation | Senior notes      
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities      
Interest rate, stated percentage (as a percent) 7.082%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ctl_EmbarqMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember		    
Minimum | Embarq Corporation | First mortgage bonds      
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities      
Interest rate, stated percentage (as a percent) 7.125%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ctl_EmbarqMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_MortgagesMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember		    
Maximum | CenturyLink, Inc. | Senior notes      
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities      
Interest rate, stated percentage (as a percent) 7.65%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember		    
Maximum | CenturyLink, Inc. | Credit facility      
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities      
Credit facility interest rate at period end (as a percent) 4.00%us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityInterestRateAtPeriodEnd
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember		    
Maximum | Qwest Corporation | Senior notes      
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities      
Interest rate, stated percentage (as a percent) 8.375%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ctl_QwestCorporationMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember		    
Maximum | Qwest Capital Funding, Inc | Senior notes      
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities      
Interest rate, stated percentage (as a percent) 7.75%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ctl_QwestCapitalFundingIncMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember		    
Maximum | Embarq Corporation | Senior notes      
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities      
Interest rate, stated percentage (as a percent) 7.995%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ctl_EmbarqMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember		    
Maximum | Embarq Corporation | First mortgage bonds      
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities      
Interest rate, stated percentage (as a percent) 8.77%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ctl_EmbarqMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_MortgagesMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember		    
Subsequent Event | Qwest Corporation | Term loan      
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities      
Aggregate principal amount of debt issuance     $ 100us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ctl_QwestCorporationMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= ctl_TermLoanMember
/ us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
[1] Actual principal paid in all years may differ due to the possible future refinancing of outstanding debt or the issuance of new debt.