Objective: To review the clinicopathological features and prognostic factors of colorectal carcinoma patients with synchronous and metachronous metastasis. Methods: The clinicopathologic data of 128 colorectal carcinoma patients with distant metastasis were admitted between January 2010 and December 2015. These patients were divided into two groups according to the time of metastasis: the synchronous metastasis group (n=79) and the metachronous metastasis group (n=49). The clinicopathological characteristics of two groups were compared, and the prognostic factors of patients with metastasis were analyzed. Results: The primary site of tumor (P=0.025), infiltration depth (P=0.002), degree of differentiation (P=0.008) and vascular invasion (P=0.012) were related with synchronous metastasis in colorectal carcinoma. The media survival time was 19 (12–28) months in the synchronous group, 20 (13–28) months in the metachronous group, the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.866). Multivariate analysis found that tumor infiltration depth (P<0.001), degree of differentiation (P=0.002), vascular invasion (P=0.006), number of metastasis were independent prognostic factors for colorectal carcinoma patients with distant metastasis. Conclusion: The possibility of distant metastasis and the prognosis of the patients with distant metastasis in colorectal carcinoma can be estimated according to the clinicopathological characteristics.