How to create: Timeline

Learn how to use CSS to create a responsive 'timeline'.

How to create a timeline

First step - Add HTML:

<div class="timeline">
  <div class="container left">
    <div class="content">
      <h2>2017</h2>
      <p>Lorem ipsum..</p>
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="container right">
    <div class="content">
      <h2>2016</h2>
      <p>Lorem ipsum..</p>
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

Second step - Add CSS:

* {
  box-sizing: border-box;
}
/* Set background color */
body {
  background-color: #474e5d;
  font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;
}
/* Actual timeline (vertical ruler) */
.timeline {
  position: relative;
  max-width: 1200px;
  margin: 0 auto;
}
/* Actual timeline (vertical ruler) */
.timeline::after {
  content: '';
  position: absolute;
  width: 6px;
  background-color: white;
  top: 0;
  bottom: 0;
  left: 50%;
  margin-left: -3px;
}
/* Container that encloses the content */
.container {
  padding: 10px 40px;
  position: relative;
  background-color: inherit;
  width: 50%;
}
/* The circle on the timeline */
.container::after {
  content: '';
  position: absolute;
  width: 25px;
  height: 25px;
  right: -17px;
  background-color: white;
  border: 4px solid #FF9F55;
  top: 15px;
  border-radius: 50%;
  z-index: 1;
}
/* Place the container on the left */
.left {
  left: 0;
}
/* Place the container on the right */
.right {
  left: 50%;
}
/* Add an arrow to the left container (pointing to the right) */
.left::before {
  content: " ";
  height: 0;
  position: absolute;
  top: 22px;
  width: 0;
  z-index: 1;
  right: 30px;
  border: medium solid white;
  border-width: 10px 0 10px 10px;
  border-color: transparent transparent transparent white;
}
/* Add an arrow to the right container (pointing to the left) */
.right::before {
  content: " ";
  height: 0;
  position: absolute;
  top: 22px;
  width: 0;
  z-index: 1;
  left: 30px;
  border: medium solid white;
  border-width: 10px 10px 10px 0;
  border-color: transparent white transparent transparent;
}
/* Fix the circle position of the right container */
.right::after {
  left: -16px;
}
/* Actual content */
.content {
  padding: 20px 30px;
  background-color: white;
  position: relative;
  border-radius: 6px;
}
/* Media query - responsive timeline for screens less than 600 pixels wide */
@media screen and (max-width: 600px) {
/* Place the timeline to the left */
  .timeline::after {
    left: 31px;
  }
/* Full-width container */
  .container {
    width: 100%;
    padding-left: 70px;
    padding-right: 25px;
  }
/* Ensure all arrows point to the left */
  .container::before {
    left: 60px;
    border: medium solid white;
    border-width: 10px 10px 10px 0;
    border-color: transparent white transparent transparent;
  }
/* Ensure all circles are in the same position */
  .left::after, .right::after {
    left: 15px;
  }
/* Make all right containers behave like left containers */
  .right {
    left: 0%;
  }
}

Try It Yourself