Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements, Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 2,777	$ 2,982
Receivables, net	8,289	7,345
Receivables from affiliates	0	0
Inventories	6,554	6,532
Prepaid expenses and other	860	816
Total current assets	18,480	17,675
Property, plant, and equipment, at cost	42,388	42,473
Accumulated depreciation	(13,980)	(13,625)
Property, plant, and equipment, net	28,408	28,848
Investment in affiliates	0	0
Long-term notes receivable from affiliates		0
Deferred charges and other assets, net	5,207	3,632
Total assets	52,095	50,155
Current liabilities:
Current portion of debt and finance lease obligations	1,110	238
Accounts payable	10,005	8,594
Accounts payable to affiliates	0	0
Accrued expenses	772	630
Accrued expenses to affiliates		0
Taxes other than income taxes payable	961	1,213
Income taxes payable	65	49
Total current liabilities	12,913	10,724
Debt and finance lease obligations, less current portion	9,006	8,871
Long-term notes payable to affiliates		0
Deferred income tax liabilities	4,867	4,962
Other long-term liabilities	3,530	2,867
Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock	7	7
Additional paid-in capital	6,802	7,048
Treasury stock, at cost	(14,958)	(14,925)
Retained earnings	30,810	31,044
Partners’ equity	0	0
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(1,352)	(1,507)
Total Valero Energy Corporation stockholders’ equity	21,309	21,667
Noncontrolling interests	470	1,064
Total equity	21,779	22,731	$ 22,925	$ 22,900
Total liabilities and equity	52,095	50,155
Eliminations [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Receivables, net	0	0
Receivables from affiliates	(15,592)	(15,396)
Inventories	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other	0	(5)
Total current assets	(15,592)	(15,401)
Property, plant, and equipment, at cost	0	0
Accumulated depreciation	0	0
Property, plant, and equipment, net	0	0
Investment in affiliates	(38,560)	(38,667)
Long-term notes receivable from affiliates		(285)
Deferred charges and other assets, net	0	0
Total assets	(54,152)	(54,353)
Current liabilities:
Current portion of debt and finance lease obligations	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Accounts payable to affiliates	(15,592)	(15,395)
Accrued expenses	0	0
Accrued expenses to affiliates		(1)
Taxes other than income taxes payable	0	0
Income taxes payable	0	(5)
Total current liabilities	(15,592)	(15,401)
Debt and finance lease obligations, less current portion	0	0
Long-term notes payable to affiliates		(285)
Deferred income tax liabilities	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock	(1)	(1)
Additional paid-in capital	(9,754)	(9,754)
Treasury stock, at cost	0	0
Retained earnings	(28,911)	(28,646)
Partners’ equity	(392)	(299)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	968	1,097
Total Valero Energy Corporation stockholders’ equity	(38,090)	(37,603)
Noncontrolling interests	(470)	(1,064)
Total equity	(38,560)	(38,667)
Total liabilities and equity	(54,152)	(54,353)
Valero Energy Corporation [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	1,167	291
Receivables, net	0	0
Receivables from affiliates	4,277	4,369
Inventories	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other	451	466
Total current assets	5,895	5,126
Property, plant, and equipment, at cost	0	0
Accumulated depreciation	0	0
Property, plant, and equipment, net	0	0
Investment in affiliates	35,820	36,101
Long-term notes receivable from affiliates		285
Deferred charges and other assets, net	513	572
Total assets	42,228	42,084
Current liabilities:
Current portion of debt and finance lease obligations	849	0
Accounts payable	2	14
Accounts payable to affiliates	10,358	10,188
Accrued expenses	152	155
Accrued expenses to affiliates		0
Taxes other than income taxes payable	0	0
Income taxes payable	34	53
Total current liabilities	11,395	10,410
Debt and finance lease obligations, less current portion	7,091	6,955
Long-term notes payable to affiliates		0
Deferred income tax liabilities	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	1,963	1,988
Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock	7	7
Additional paid-in capital	6,802	7,048
Treasury stock, at cost	(14,958)	(14,925)
Retained earnings	30,810	31,044
Partners’ equity	0	0
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(1,352)	(1,507)
Total Valero Energy Corporation stockholders’ equity	21,309	21,667
Noncontrolling interests	470	1,064
Total equity	21,779	22,731
Total liabilities and equity	42,228	42,084
Valero Energy Partners LP [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	152
Receivables, net	0	0
Receivables from affiliates	0	2
Inventories	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other	0	0
Total current assets	0	154
Property, plant, and equipment, at cost	0	0
Accumulated depreciation	0	0
Property, plant, and equipment, net	0	0
Investment in affiliates	2,348	2,267
Long-term notes receivable from affiliates		0
Deferred charges and other assets, net	0	1
Total assets	2,348	2,422
Current liabilities:
Current portion of debt and finance lease obligations	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Accounts payable to affiliates	957	837
Accrued expenses	7	7
Accrued expenses to affiliates		1
Taxes other than income taxes payable	0	0
Income taxes payable	0	1
Total current liabilities	964	846
Debt and finance lease obligations, less current portion	990	990
Long-term notes payable to affiliates		285
Deferred income tax liabilities	2	2
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	0	0
Treasury stock, at cost	0	0
Retained earnings	0	0
Partners’ equity	392	299
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	0	0
Total Valero Energy Corporation stockholders’ equity	392	299
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	392	299
Total liabilities and equity	2,348	2,422
Other Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	1,610	2,539
Receivables, net	8,289	7,345
Receivables from affiliates	11,315	11,025
Inventories	6,554	6,532
Prepaid expenses and other	409	355
Total current assets	28,177	27,796
Property, plant, and equipment, at cost	42,388	42,473
Accumulated depreciation	(13,980)	(13,625)
Property, plant, and equipment, net	28,408	28,848
Investment in affiliates	392	299
Long-term notes receivable from affiliates		0
Deferred charges and other assets, net	4,694	3,059
Total assets	61,671	60,002
Current liabilities:
Current portion of debt and finance lease obligations	261	238
Accounts payable	10,003	8,580
Accounts payable to affiliates	4,277	4,370
Accrued expenses	613	468
Accrued expenses to affiliates		0
Taxes other than income taxes payable	961	1,213
Income taxes payable	31	0
Total current liabilities	16,146	14,869
Debt and finance lease obligations, less current portion	925	926
Long-term notes payable to affiliates		0
Deferred income tax liabilities	4,865	4,960
Other long-term liabilities	1,567	879
Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock	1	1
Additional paid-in capital	9,754	9,754
Treasury stock, at cost	0	0
Retained earnings	28,911	28,646
Partners’ equity	0	0
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(968)	(1,097)
Total Valero Energy Corporation stockholders’ equity	37,698	37,304
Noncontrolling interests	470	1,064
Total equity	38,168	38,368
Total liabilities and equity	$ 61,671	$ 60,002