Various forms of lateral impact loads will be imposed on the service process of structural columns. If the columns are damaged, it may lead to property losses and even casualties. Therefore, exploring the lateral impact resistance performance of structural columns is crucial to safeguard the safety of buildings. In this study, finite element software ANSYS is used to analyze the lateral impact resistance performance of reinforced concrete columns, focusing on the failure modes and impact force-displacement time history curves of reinforced concrete (RC) columns when impacted at different positions. The research findings reveal that Compared to the case where the column is impacted in the middle, when the impact is applied at 1/4 and 3/4 of the column’s height, the secondary peak of the impact force increases by 120%, and the displacement increases by 25%. When the impact is applied at the end of the column, a significant shear force is generated in the beam - column joint area. The peak of the impact force increases by more than 20%, and the shear failure is severe. Regardless of where the impact is applied on the column body, it will induce local damage in the impact position and at the column end. These local damages not only reduce the load-carrying capacity of the specimens but may also affect the overall stability of the structure.