Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements, Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 2,583	$ 2,982
Receivables, net	8,904	7,345
Receivables from affiliates	0	0
Inventories	7,013	6,532
Prepaid expenses and other	469	816
Total current assets	18,969	17,675
Property, plant, and equipment, at cost	44,294	42,473
Accumulated depreciation	(15,030)	(13,625)
Property, plant, and equipment, net	29,264	28,848
Investment in affiliates	0	0
Long-term notes receivable from affiliates		0
Deferred charges and other assets, net	5,631	3,632
Total assets	53,864	50,155
Current liabilities:
Current portion of debt and finance lease obligations	494	238
Accounts payable	10,205	8,594
Accounts payable to affiliates	0	0
Accrued expenses	949	630
Accrued expenses to affiliates		0
Taxes other than income taxes payable	1,304	1,213
Income taxes payable	208	49
Total current liabilities	13,160	10,724
Debt and finance lease obligations, less current portion	9,178	8,871
Long-term notes payable to affiliates		0
Deferred income tax liabilities	5,103	4,962
Other long-term liabilities	3,887	2,867
Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock	7	7
Additional paid-in capital	6,821	7,048
Treasury stock, at cost	(15,648)	(14,925)
Retained earnings	31,974	31,044
Partners’ equity	0	0
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(1,351)	(1,507)
Total Valero Energy Corporation stockholders’ equity	21,803	21,667
Noncontrolling interests	733	1,064
Total equity	22,536	22,731	$ 22,900	$ 20,854
Total liabilities and equity	53,864	50,155
Eliminations [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Receivables, net	0	0
Receivables from affiliates	(18,142)	(15,055)
Inventories	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other	0	(5)
Total current assets	(18,142)	(15,060)
Property, plant, and equipment, at cost	0	0
Accumulated depreciation	0	0
Property, plant, and equipment, net	0	0
Investment in affiliates	(40,957)	(36,642)
Long-term notes receivable from affiliates		(285)
Deferred charges and other assets, net	0	0
Total assets	(59,099)	(51,987)
Current liabilities:
Current portion of debt and finance lease obligations	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Accounts payable to affiliates	(18,142)	(15,054)
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	(18,142)	(15,060)
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	(9,771)	(9,754)
Treasury stock, at cost	0	0
Retained earnings	(31,636)	(28,305)
Partners’ equity	(382)	(299)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	833	1,097
Total Valero Energy Corporation stockholders’ equity	(40,957)	(37,262)
Noncontrolling interests	0	620
Total equity	(40,957)	(36,642)
Total liabilities and equity	(59,099)	(51,987)
Valero Energy Corporation [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	912	291
Receivables, net	0	0
Receivables from affiliates	4,336	4,369
Inventories	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other	63	466
Total current assets	5,311	5,126
Property, plant, and equipment, at cost	0	0
Accumulated depreciation	0	0
Property, plant, and equipment, net	0	0
Investment in affiliates	37,902	34,696
Long-term notes receivable from affiliates		285
Deferred charges and other assets, net	771	572
Total assets	43,984	40,679
Current liabilities:
Current portion of debt and finance lease obligations	0	0
Accounts payable	0	14
Accounts payable to affiliates	12,515	9,847
Accrued expenses	120	155
Accrued expenses to affiliates		0
Taxes other than income taxes payable	0	0
Income taxes payable	108	53
Total current liabilities	12,743	10,069
Debt and finance lease obligations, less current portion	7,095	6,955
Long-term notes payable to affiliates		0
Deferred income tax liabilities	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	2,343	1,988
Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock	7	7
Additional paid-in capital	6,821	7,048
Treasury stock, at cost	(15,648)	(14,925)
Retained earnings	31,974	31,044
Partners’ equity	0	0
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(1,351)	(1,507)
Total Valero Energy Corporation stockholders’ equity	21,803	21,667
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	21,803	21,667
Total liabilities and equity	43,984	40,679
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	2,673	2,267
Long-term notes receivable from affiliates		0
Deferred charges and other assets, net	0	1
Total assets	2,673	2,422
Current liabilities:
Current portion of debt and finance lease obligations	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Accounts payable to affiliates	1,291	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	1,298	846
Debt and finance lease obligations, less current portion	991	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	382	299
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	0	0
Total Valero Energy Corporation stockholders’ equity	382	299
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	382	299
Total liabilities and equity	2,673	2,422
Other Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	1,671	2,539
Receivables, net	8,904	7,345
Receivables from affiliates	13,806	10,684
Inventories	7,013	6,532
Prepaid expenses and other	406	355
Total current assets	31,800	27,455
Property, plant, and equipment, at cost	44,294	42,473
Accumulated depreciation	(15,030)	(13,625)
Property, plant, and equipment, net	29,264	28,848
Investment in affiliates	382	(321)
Long-term notes receivable from affiliates		0
Deferred charges and other assets, net	4,860	3,059
Total assets	66,306	59,041
Current liabilities:
Current portion of debt and finance lease obligations	494	238
Accounts payable	10,205	8,580
Accounts payable to affiliates	4,336	4,370
Accrued expenses	822	468
Accrued expenses to affiliates		0
Taxes other than income taxes payable	1,304	1,213
Income taxes payable	100	0
Total current liabilities	17,261	14,869
Debt and finance lease obligations, less current portion	1,092	926
Long-term notes payable to affiliates		0
Deferred income tax liabilities	5,101	4,960
Other long-term liabilities	1,544	879
Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock	1	1
Additional paid-in capital	9,771	9,754
Treasury stock, at cost	0	0
Retained earnings	31,636	28,305
Partners’ equity	0	0
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(833)	(1,097)
Total Valero Energy Corporation stockholders’ equity	40,575	36,963
Noncontrolling interests	733	444
Total equity	41,308	37,407
Total liabilities and equity	$ 66,306	$ 59,041