Operating Segments (Financial Results for the Company's Operating Segments) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012		Sep. 30, 2011		Sep. 30, 2012		Sep. 30, 2011		Dec. 31, 2011
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Site rental	$ 538,761,000		$ 468,920,000		$ 1,553,878,000		$ 1,382,219,000
Network services and other	82,576,000		44,963,000		204,715,000		131,039,000
Net revenues	621,337,000		513,883,000		1,758,593,000		1,513,258,000
Site rental	135,314,000	[1]	121,759,000	[1]	389,756,000	[1]	361,317,000	[1]
Network services and other	50,029,000	[1]	25,083,000	[1]	121,812,000	[1]	78,213,000	[1]
General and administrative	55,862,000		42,922,000		153,941,000		128,925,000
Asset write-down charges	1,560,000		3,090,000		8,250,000		13,696,000
Acquisition and integration costs	2,937,000		617,000		12,112,000		1,661,000
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	154,867,000		138,523,000		446,749,000		413,987,000
Total operating expenses	400,569,000		331,994,000		1,132,620,000		997,799,000
Operating income (loss)	220,768,000		181,889,000		625,973,000		515,459,000
Interest expense and amortization of deferred financing costs	(144,949,000)		(127,119,000)		(427,361,000)		(380,288,000)
Gains (losses) on retirement of long-term obligations	0		0		(14,586,000)		0
Interest income	291,000		175,000		1,027,000		554,000
Other income (expense)	(632,000)		(737,000)		(3,958,000)		(5,441,000)
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	(32,300,000)		(2,825,000)		29,437,000		(7,763,000)
Net income (loss)	43,178,000		51,383,000		210,532,000		122,521,000
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to the noncontrolling interest	1,133,000		105,000		2,443,000		355,000
Net income (loss) attributable to CCIC stockholders	42,045,000		51,278,000		208,089,000		122,166,000
Capital expenditures	123,690,000		148,425,000		283,386,000		265,115,000
Total assets (at quarter end)	12,736,419,000				12,736,419,000				10,545,096,000
CCUSA [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Site rental	507,247,000		441,137,000		1,463,126,000		1,301,234,000
Network services and other	78,287,000		40,853,000		187,304,000		118,534,000
Net revenues	585,534,000		481,990,000		1,650,430,000		1,419,768,000
Site rental	126,059,000	[1]	112,843,000	[1]	363,066,000	[1]	335,421,000	[1]
Network services and other	46,592,000	[1]	22,713,000	[1]	110,240,000	[1]	70,246,000	[1]
General and administrative	50,461,000		37,295,000		135,655,000		113,594,000
Asset write-down charges	1,518,000		3,165,000		8,197,000		13,452,000
Acquisition and integration costs	2,937,000		617,000		12,058,000		1,661,000
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	147,186,000		130,878,000		423,620,000		391,342,000
Total operating expenses	374,753,000		307,511,000		1,052,836,000		925,716,000
Operating income (loss)	210,781,000		174,479,000		597,594,000		494,052,000
Interest expense and amortization of deferred financing costs	(144,949,000)		(127,119,000)		(427,349,000)		(379,964,000)
Gains (losses) on retirement of long-term obligations	0		0		(14,586,000)		0
Interest income	210,000		25,000		665,000		166,000
Other income (expense)	3,825,000		5,042,000		10,869,000		11,771,000
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	(31,864,000)		(2,261,000)		30,883,000		(6,076,000)
Net income (loss)	38,003,000		50,166,000		198,076,000		119,949,000
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to the noncontrolling interest	0		(141,000)		(268,000)		(141,000)
Net income (loss) attributable to CCIC stockholders	38,003,000		50,307,000		198,344,000		120,090,000
Capital expenditures	117,830,000		144,129,000		268,730,000		256,455,000
Total assets (at quarter end)	12,669,983,000				12,669,983,000
CCAL [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Site rental	31,514,000		27,783,000		90,752,000		80,985,000
Network services and other	4,289,000		4,110,000		17,411,000		12,505,000
Net revenues	35,803,000		31,893,000		108,163,000		93,490,000
Site rental	9,255,000	[1]	8,916,000	[1]	26,690,000	[1]	25,896,000	[1]
Network services and other	3,437,000	[1]	2,370,000	[1]	11,572,000	[1]	7,967,000	[1]
General and administrative	5,401,000		5,627,000		18,286,000		15,331,000
Asset write-down charges	42,000		(75,000)		53,000		244,000
Acquisition and integration costs	0		0		54,000		0
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	7,681,000		7,645,000		23,129,000		22,645,000
Total operating expenses	25,816,000		24,483,000		79,784,000		72,083,000
Operating income (loss)	9,987,000		7,410,000		28,379,000		21,407,000
Interest expense and amortization of deferred financing costs	(4,478,000)		(5,755,000)		(14,815,000)		(17,513,000)
Gains (losses) on retirement of long-term obligations	0		0		0		0
Interest income	81,000		150,000		362,000		388,000
Other income (expense)	21,000		(24,000)		(24,000)		(23,000)
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	(436,000)		(564,000)		(1,446,000)		(1,687,000)
Net income (loss)	5,175,000		1,217,000		12,456,000		2,572,000
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to the noncontrolling interest	1,133,000		246,000		2,711,000		496,000
Net income (loss) attributable to CCIC stockholders	4,042,000		971,000		9,745,000		2,076,000
Capital expenditures	5,860,000		4,296,000		14,656,000		8,660,000
Total assets (at quarter end)	354,992,000				354,992,000
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	4,478,000		5,755,000		14,803,000		17,189,000
Gains (losses) on retirement of long-term obligations	0		0		0		0
Interest income	0		0		0		0
Other income (expense)	(4,478,000)		(5,755,000)		(14,803,000)		(17,189,000)
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
Total assets (at quarter end)	$ (288,556,000)				$ (288,556,000)

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