Segment Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Segment Information [Line Items]
Total Revenues	$ 651,581	$ 627,596	$ 616,288	$ 606,802	$ 597,010	$ 578,710	$ 574,411	$ 562,381	$ 2,502,267	$ 2,312,512	$ 2,299,176
Total expenses									1,742,019	1,622,619	1,624,625
Operating income (loss)									760,248	689,893	674,551
(Loss) income from partially owned entities									(12,630)	(59,861)	(340,882)
Income from real estate fund investments									74,081	163,034	102,898
Interest and other investment income (loss), net									26,978	38,752	(24,887)
Interest and debt expense									(378,025)	(412,755)	(425,782)
Net gain on disposition of wholly owned and partially owned assets									251,821	13,568	2,030
Income (loss) before income taxes									722,473	432,631	(12,072)
Income tax benefit (expense)									84,695	(9,281)	8,717
Income (loss) from continuing operations									807,168	423,350	(3,355)
Income from discontinued operations									52,262	585,676	568,095
Net income (loss)									859,430	1,009,026	564,740
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries									(55,765)	(96,561)	(63,952)
Net income attributable to Vornado Realty L.P.									803,665	912,465	500,788
Interest and debt expense (2)									469,843	654,398	758,781
Depreciation and amortization (2)									664,637	685,973	732,757
Income tax (benefit) expense (2)									(85,379)	24,248	26,371
EBITDA									1,852,766	2,277,084	2,018,697
Balance Sheet Data [Abstract]
Real estate, at cost	18,090,137				16,822,358				18,090,137	16,822,358	15,392,968	$ 15,287,078
Investments in partially owned entities	1,550,422				1,240,489				1,550,422	1,240,489	1,159,803
Total assets	21,143,293				21,157,980				21,143,293	21,157,980	20,018,210
New York Segment [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Information [Line Items]
Total Revenues									1,695,925	1,520,845	1,470,907
Total expenses									1,032,015	946,466	910,498
Operating income (loss)									663,910	574,379	560,409
(Loss) income from partially owned entities									655	20,701	15,527
Interest and other investment income (loss), net									7,722	6,711	5,357
Interest and debt expense									(194,278)	(183,427)	(181,966)
Net gain on disposition of wholly owned and partially owned assets									142,693	0	0
Income (loss) before income taxes									620,702	418,364	399,327
Income tax benefit (expense)									(4,379)	(4,305)	(2,794)
Income (loss) from continuing operations									616,323	414,059	396,533
Income from discontinued operations									0	463,163	160,314
Net income (loss)									616,323	877,222	556,847
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries									(13,022)	(8,626)	(10,786)
Net income attributable to Vornado Realty L.P.									603,301	868,596	546,061
Interest and debt expense (2)									248,724	241,959	236,645
Depreciation and amortization (2)									394,028	324,239	293,974
Income tax (benefit) expense (2)									4,766	4,395	3,002
EBITDA									1,250,819	1,439,189	1,079,682
Balance Sheet Data [Abstract]
Real estate, at cost	10,577,078				9,732,818				10,577,078	9,732,818	8,422,297
Investments in partially owned entities	1,195,122				1,036,130				1,195,122	1,036,130	904,278
Total assets	12,257,774				10,706,476				12,257,774	10,706,476	9,214,055
Washington DC Segment [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Information [Line Items]
Total Revenues									532,812	537,151	541,161
Total expenses									390,921	358,019	347,686
Operating income (loss)									141,891	179,132	193,475
(Loss) income from partially owned entities									(5,083)	(3,677)	(6,968)
Interest and other investment income (loss), net									(262)	183	129
Interest and debt expense									(68,727)	(75,395)	(102,277)
Net gain on disposition of wholly owned and partially owned assets									102,404	0	0
Income (loss) before income taxes									170,223	100,243	84,359
Income tax benefit (expense)									(317)	(242)	14,031
Income (loss) from continuing operations									169,906	100,001	98,390
Income from discontinued operations									0	0	0
Net income (loss)									169,906	100,001	98,390
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries									0	0	0
Net income attributable to Vornado Realty L.P.									169,906	100,001	98,390
Interest and debt expense (2)									82,386	89,448	116,131
Depreciation and amortization (2)									179,788	145,853	142,409
Income tax (benefit) expense (2)									(1,610)	288	(15,707)
EBITDA									430,470	335,590	341,223
Balance Sheet Data [Abstract]
Real estate, at cost	4,544,842				4,383,418				4,544,842	4,383,418	4,243,048
Investments in partially owned entities	100,511				102,635				100,511	102,635	100,543
Total assets	4,536,895				4,300,628				4,536,895	4,300,628	4,098,338
Other Segment [Member]
Segment Information [Line Items]
Total Revenues									273,530	254,516	287,108
Total expenses									319,083	318,134	366,441
Operating income (loss)									(45,553)	(63,618)	(79,333)
(Loss) income from partially owned entities									(8,202)	(76,885)	(349,441)
Income from real estate fund investments									74,081	163,034	102,898
Interest and other investment income (loss), net									19,518	31,858	(30,373)
Interest and debt expense									(115,020)	(153,933)	(141,539)
Net gain on disposition of wholly owned and partially owned assets									6,724	13,568	2,030
Income (loss) before income taxes									(68,452)	(85,976)	(495,758)
Income tax benefit (expense)									89,391	(4,734)	(2,520)
Income (loss) from continuing operations									20,939	(90,710)	(498,278)
Income from discontinued operations									52,262	122,513	407,781
Net income (loss)									73,201	31,803	(90,497)
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries									(42,743)	(87,935)	(53,166)
Net income attributable to Vornado Realty L.P.									30,458	(56,132)	(143,663)
Interest and debt expense (2)									138,733	322,991	406,005
Depreciation and amortization (2)									90,821	215,881	296,374
Income tax (benefit) expense (2)									(88,535)	19,565	39,076
EBITDA									171,477	502,305	597,792
Balance Sheet Data [Abstract]
Real estate, at cost	2,968,217				2,706,122				2,968,217	2,706,122	2,727,623
Investments in partially owned entities	254,789				101,724				254,789	101,724	154,982
Total assets	$ 4,348,624				$ 6,150,876				$ 4,348,624	$ 6,150,876	$ 6,705,817