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Long-Term Debt and Credit Facilities Long-Term Debt and Credit Facilities (Details 2) (USD $)
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
0 Months Ended
Feb. 17, 2015
Mar. 19, 2015
Feb. 20, 2015
Mar. 31, 2015
Dec. 31, 2014
Feb. 15, 2015
Jan. 31, 2015
CenturyLink, Inc. | Senior notes              
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities              
Long-term debt, gross       $ 7,975us-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. | Senior notes | Series M 5.00% Notes              
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities              
Repayments of debt 350us-gaap_RepaymentsOfDebt
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ctl_SeriesM5.00NotesMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
           
Stated interest rate (percent)           5.00%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ctl_SeriesM5.00NotesMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
 
CenturyLink, Inc. | Senior notes | Notes, 5.625 percent due 2025 [Member]              
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities              
Debt instrument, face amount   500us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ctl_Notes5.625percentdue2025Member
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
         
Stated interest rate (percent)   5.625%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ctl_Notes5.625percentdue2025Member
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
         
Proceeds from debt, net of issuance costs   494us-gaap_ProceedsFromDebtNetOfIssuanceCosts
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ctl_Notes5.625percentdue2025Member
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
         
CenturyLink, Inc. | Medium-term notes              
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities              
Long-term debt, gross       374us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_MediumTermNotesMember
380us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_MediumTermNotesMember
   
Qwest Corporation | Senior notes              
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities              
Long-term debt, gross       7,311us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ctl_QwestCorporationMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
7,311us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ctl_QwestCorporationMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
   
Qwest Corporation | Medium-term notes              
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities              
Long-term debt, gross       100us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ctl_QwestCorporationMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_MediumTermNotesMember
0us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ctl_QwestCorporationMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_MediumTermNotesMember
   
Qwest Corporation | Medium-term notes | Term Loan              
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities              
Debt instrument, face amount     100us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ctl_TermLoanMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ctl_QwestCorporationMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_MediumTermNotesMember
       
Long-term debt, gross       100us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ctl_TermLoanMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ctl_QwestCorporationMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_MediumTermNotesMember
     
Minimum | CenturyLink, Inc. | Senior notes              
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities              
Stated interest rate (percent)       5.15%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember
     
Minimum | Qwest Corporation | Senior notes              
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities              
Stated interest rate (percent)       6.125%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ctl_QwestCorporationMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember
     
Minimum | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) | Qwest Corporation | Medium-term notes | Term Loan              
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities              
Basis spread on variable rate (percent)     1.50%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentBasisSpreadOnVariableRate1
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ctl_TermLoanMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ctl_QwestCorporationMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_MediumTermNotesMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember
/ us-gaap_VariableRateAxis
= us-gaap_LondonInterbankOfferedRateLIBORMember
       
Minimum | Base Rate | Qwest Corporation | Medium-term notes | Term Loan              
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities              
Basis spread on variable rate (percent)     0.50%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentBasisSpreadOnVariableRate1
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ctl_TermLoanMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ctl_QwestCorporationMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_MediumTermNotesMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember
/ us-gaap_VariableRateAxis
= us-gaap_BaseRateMember
       
Maximum | CenturyLink, Inc. | Senior notes              
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities              
Stated interest rate (percent)       7.65%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
     
Maximum | Qwest Corporation | Senior notes              
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities              
Stated interest rate (percent)       8.375%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ctl_QwestCorporationMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
     
Maximum | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) | Qwest Corporation | Medium-term notes | Term Loan              
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities              
Basis spread on variable rate (percent)     2.50%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentBasisSpreadOnVariableRate1
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ctl_TermLoanMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ctl_QwestCorporationMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_MediumTermNotesMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
/ us-gaap_VariableRateAxis
= us-gaap_LondonInterbankOfferedRateLIBORMember
       
Maximum | Base Rate | Qwest Corporation | Medium-term notes | Term Loan              
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities              
Basis spread on variable rate (percent)     1.50%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentBasisSpreadOnVariableRate1
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ctl_TermLoanMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ctl_QwestCorporationMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_MediumTermNotesMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
/ us-gaap_VariableRateAxis
= us-gaap_BaseRateMember
       
Line of credit | CenturyLink, Inc. | Line of credit              
Long-term Debt and Credit Facilities              
Line of credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity             $ 100us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityMaximumBorrowingCapacity
/ us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis
= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember
Lenders of revolving line of credit, number             1ctl_LendersofRevolvingLineofCreditNumber
/ us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis
= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember