Earnings Per Common Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Less dividends paid:
Weighted-average common shares outstanding (in shares)	448	469
Earnings per common share – assuming dilution:
Weighted-average common shares outstanding (in shares)	448	469
Weighted-average common shares outstanding – assuming dilution (in shares)	451	471
Common Class A [Member]
Earnings per common share:
Net income attributable to Valero stockholders	$ 305	$ 495
Less dividends paid:
Common stock	314	281
Participating securities	1	1
Undistributed earnings (excess distributions over earnings)	$ (10)	$ 213
Weighted-average common shares outstanding (in shares)	448	469
Earnings (loss) per common share:
Distributed earnings (in usd per share)	$ 0.70	$ 0.60
Undistributed earnings (excess distributions over earnings) (in usd per share)	(0.02)	0.45
Total earnings per common share (in usd per share)	$ 0.68	$ 1.05
Earnings per common share – assuming dilution:
Net income attributable to Valero stockholders	$ 305	$ 495
Weighted-average common shares outstanding (in shares)	448	469
Common equivalent shares (in shares)	3	2
Weighted-average common shares outstanding – assuming dilution (in shares)	451	471
Earnings per common share – assuming dilution (in usd per share)	$ 0.68	$ 1.05
Participating Securities [Member]
Less dividends paid:
Weighted-average common shares outstanding (in shares)	2	2
Earnings (loss) per common share:
Distributed earnings (in usd per share)	$ 0.70	$ 0.60
Undistributed earnings (excess distributions over earnings) (in usd per share)	0.00	0.45
Total earnings per common share (in usd per share)	$ 0.70	$ 1.05
Earnings per common share – assuming dilution:
Weighted-average common shares outstanding (in shares)	2	2