Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements, Statement of Comprehensive Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Net income	$ 167	$ 582
Other comprehensive income:
Foreign currency translation adjustment	155	45
Net gain on pension and other postretirement benefits	3	8
Other comprehensive income before income tax expense	158	53
Income tax expense related to items of other comprehensive income	1	2
Other comprehensive income	157	51
Comprehensive income	324	633
Less: Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests	28	116
Comprehensive income attributable to Valero Energy Corporation stockholders	296	517
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Net income	(436)	(961)
Other comprehensive income:
Foreign currency translation adjustment	(159)	(45)
Net gain on pension and other postretirement benefits	0	0
Other comprehensive income before income tax expense	(159)	(45)
Income tax expense related to items of other comprehensive income	0	0
Other comprehensive income	(159)	(45)
Comprehensive income	(595)	(1,006)
Less: Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Comprehensive income attributable to Valero Energy Corporation stockholders	(595)	(1,006)
Valero Energy Corporation [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Net income	167	582
Other comprehensive income:
Foreign currency translation adjustment	155	45
Net gain on pension and other postretirement benefits	3	8
Other comprehensive income before income tax expense	158	53
Income tax expense related to items of other comprehensive income	1	2
Other comprehensive income	157	51
Comprehensive income	324	633
Less: Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Comprehensive income attributable to Valero Energy Corporation stockholders	324	633
Valero Energy Partners LP [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Net income	67	66
Other comprehensive income:
Foreign currency translation adjustment	0	0
Net gain on pension and other postretirement benefits	0	0
Other comprehensive income before income tax expense	0	0
Income tax expense related to items of other comprehensive income	0	0
Other comprehensive income	0	0
Comprehensive income	67	66
Less: Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Comprehensive income attributable to Valero Energy Corporation stockholders	67	66
Other Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Net income	369	895
Other comprehensive income:
Foreign currency translation adjustment	159	45
Net gain on pension and other postretirement benefits	0	0
Other comprehensive income before income tax expense	159	45
Income tax expense related to items of other comprehensive income	0	0
Other comprehensive income	159	45
Comprehensive income	528	940
Less: Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests	28	116
Comprehensive income attributable to Valero Energy Corporation stockholders	$ 500	$ 824