Operating Segments (Financial Results for the Company's Operating Segments) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2011		Sep. 30, 2010		Sep. 30, 2011		Sep. 30, 2010
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Site rental	$ 468,920,000		$ 437,079,000		$ 1,382,219,000		$ 1,253,582,000
Network services and other	44,963,000		44,811,000		131,039,000		128,762,000
Net revenues	513,883,000		481,890,000		1,513,258,000		1,382,344,000
Site rental	121,759,000	[1]	116,233,000	[1]	361,317,000	[1]	345,453,000	[1]
Network services and other	25,083,000	[1]	26,767,000	[1]	78,213,000	[1]	82,990,000	[1]
General and administrative	42,922,000		41,420,000		128,925,000		121,449,000
Asset write-down charges	3,090,000		4,429,000		13,696,000		8,588,000
Acquisition and integration costs	617,000		867,000		1,661,000		1,139,000
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	138,523,000		136,218,000		413,987,000		403,512,000
Total operating expenses	331,994,000		325,934,000		997,799,000		963,131,000
Operating income (loss)	181,889,000		155,956,000		515,459,000		419,213,000
Interest expense and amortization of deferred financing costs	(127,119,000)		(123,196,000)		(380,288,000)		(364,322,000)
Gains (losses) on purchases and redemptions of debt	0		(71,933,000)		0		(138,367,000)
Net gain (loss) on interest rate swaps	0		(104,421,000)		0		(292,295,000)
Interest and other income (expense)	(562,000)		847,000		(4,887,000)		985,000
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	(2,825,000)		7,597,000		(7,763,000)		22,622,000
Net income (loss)	51,383,000		(135,150,000)		122,521,000		(352,164,000)
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to the noncontrolling interest	105,000		(141,000)		355,000		(351,000)
Net income (loss) attributable to CCIC stockholders	51,278,000		(135,009,000)		122,166,000		(351,813,000)
Capital expenditures	148,425,000		56,509,000		265,115,000		148,274,000
CCUSA [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Site rental	441,137,000		414,265,000		1,301,234,000		1,186,276,000
Network services and other	40,853,000		42,544,000		118,534,000		121,665,000
Net revenues	481,990,000		456,809,000		1,419,768,000		1,307,941,000
Site rental	112,843,000	[1]	108,966,000	[1]	335,421,000	[1]	324,660,000	[1]
Network services and other	22,713,000	[1]	25,192,000	[1]	70,246,000	[1]	77,984,000	[1]
General and administrative	37,295,000		37,495,000		113,594,000		109,335,000
Asset write-down charges	3,165,000		4,325,000		13,452,000		8,461,000
Acquisition and integration costs	617,000		867,000		1,661,000		1,139,000
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	130,878,000		129,169,000		391,342,000		382,418,000
Total operating expenses	307,511,000		306,014,000		925,716,000		903,997,000
Operating income (loss)	174,479,000		150,795,000		494,052,000		403,944,000
Interest expense and amortization of deferred financing costs	(127,119,000)		(122,905,000)		(379,964,000)		(363,235,000)
Gains (losses) on purchases and redemptions of debt	0		(71,933,000)		0		(138,367,000)
Net gain (loss) on interest rate swaps	0		(104,421,000)		0		(292,295,000)
Interest and other income (expense)	5,067,000		5,789,000		11,937,000		15,068,000
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	(2,261,000)		8,096,000		(6,076,000)		24,025,000
Net income (loss)	50,166,000		(134,579,000)		119,949,000		(350,860,000)
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to the noncontrolling interest	(141,000)		0		(141,000)		0
Net income (loss) attributable to CCIC stockholders	50,307,000		(134,579,000)		120,090,000		(350,860,000)
Capital expenditures	144,129,000		53,423,000		256,455,000		140,875,000
CCAL [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Site rental	27,783,000		22,814,000		80,985,000		67,306,000
Network services and other	4,110,000		2,267,000		12,505,000		7,097,000
Net revenues	31,893,000		25,081,000		93,490,000		74,403,000
Site rental	8,916,000	[1]	7,267,000	[1]	25,896,000	[1]	20,793,000	[1]
Network services and other	2,370,000	[1]	1,575,000	[1]	7,967,000	[1]	5,006,000	[1]
General and administrative	5,627,000		3,925,000		15,331,000		12,114,000
Asset write-down charges	(75,000)		104,000		244,000		127,000
Acquisition and integration costs	0		0		0		0
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	7,645,000		7,049,000		22,645,000		21,094,000
Total operating expenses	24,483,000		19,920,000		72,083,000		59,134,000
Operating income (loss)	7,410,000		5,161,000		21,407,000		15,269,000
Interest expense and amortization of deferred financing costs	(5,755,000)		(5,368,000)		(17,513,000)		(15,380,000)
Gains (losses) on purchases and redemptions of debt	0		0		0		0
Net gain (loss) on interest rate swaps	0		0		0		0
Interest and other income (expense)	126,000		135,000		365,000		210,000
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	(564,000)		(499,000)		(1,687,000)		(1,403,000)
Net income (loss)	1,217,000		(571,000)		2,572,000		(1,304,000)
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to the noncontrolling interest	246,000		(141,000)		496,000		(351,000)
Net income (loss) attributable to CCIC stockholders	971,000		(430,000)		2,076,000		(953,000)
Capital expenditures	4,296,000		3,086,000		8,660,000		7,399,000
Elimination [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Site rental	0		0		0		0
Network services and other	0		0		0		0
Net revenues	0		0		0		0
Site rental	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]
Network services and other	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]
General and administrative	0		0		0		0
Asset write-down charges	0		0		0		0
Acquisition and integration costs	0		0		0		0
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	0		0		0		0
Total operating expenses	0		0		0		0
Operating income (loss)	0		0		0		0
Interest expense and amortization of deferred financing costs	5,755,000		5,077,000		17,189,000		14,293,000
Gains (losses) on purchases and redemptions of debt	0		0		0		0
Net gain (loss) on interest rate swaps	0		0		0		0
Interest and other income (expense)	(5,755,000)		(5,077,000)		(17,189,000)		(14,293,000)
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	0		0		0		0
Net income (loss)	0		0		0		0
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to the noncontrolling interest	0		0		0		0
Net income (loss) attributable to CCIC stockholders	0		0		0		0
Capital expenditures	$ 0		$ 0		$ 0		$ 0

[1] Exclusive of depreciation, amortization and accretion shown separately.