Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2012
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Consolidated Financial Statements The consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2011 has been derived from audited consolidated financial statements and the consolidated interim financial statements included herein have been prepared without audit pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. These consolidated financial statements were prepared in accordance with GAAP for interim financial statements and with instructions for Form 10-Q and Regulation S-X Section 210.10-01. Further information on Metro Bancorp, Inc.'s (Metro or the Company) accounting policies are available in Note 1 (Significant Accounting Policies) of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011. The accompanying consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments that are, in the opinion of management, necessary to reflect a fair statement of the results for the interim periods presented. Such adjustments are of a normal, recurring nature. These consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011. Events occurring subsequent to the date of the balance sheet have been evaluated for potential recognition or disclosure in the consolidated financial statements. The results for the three months ended March 31, 2012 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2012. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries including Metro Bank (the Bank). All material intercompany transactions have been eliminated. Certain amounts from the prior year have been reclassified to conform to the 2012 presentation. Such reclassifications had no impact on the Company's stockholders' equity or net income. Use of Estimates The financial statements are prepared in conformity with GAAP. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts of assets and liabilities and require disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. Actual results could differ from these estimates. Material estimates that are particularly susceptible to significant change in the near term relate to the determination of the allowance for loan losses (allowance or ALL), impaired loans, the valuation of deferred tax assets, the valuation of foreclosed assets, the valuation of securities available for sale, the determination of other-than-temporary impairment (OTTI) on the Bank's investment securities portfolio and fair value measurements. Other Comprehensive Income Accounting principles generally require that recognized revenue, expenses, gains and losses be included in net income. Although certain changes in assets and liabilities, such as unrealized gains and losses on available for sale (AFS) securities, are reported as a separate component of the equity section of the balance sheet, such items, along with net income are components of comprehensive income. The only comprehensive income items that the Company presently has other than net income are net unrealized gains on securities available for sale and unrealized losses for noncredit-related losses on debt securities. These items are presented net of tax in the Statement of Comprehensive Income. Recent Accounting Standards In May 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) amended fair value measurement guidance to clarify the guidance for items such as: the application of the highest and best use concept to non-financial assets and liabilities; the application of fair value measurement to financial instruments classified in a reporting entity's stockholders' equity; and disclosure requirements regarding quantitative information about unobservable inputs used in the fair value measurements of level 3 assets. The update also creates an exception to fair value measurement guidance for entities which carry financial instruments within a portfolio or group, under which the entity is now permitted to base the price used for fair valuation upon a price that would be received to sell the net asset position or transfer a net liability position in an orderly transaction. In addition, the update allows for the application of premiums and discounts in a fair value measurement if the financial instrument is categorized in level 2 or 3 of the fair value hierarchy. Lastly, the updated standard contains new disclosure requirements regarding fair value amounts categorized as level 3 in the fair value hierarchy such as: disclosure of the valuation process used; effects of and relationships between unobservable inputs; usage of nonfinancial assets for purposes other than their highest and best use when that is the basis of the disclosed fair value; and categorization by level of items disclosed at fair value, but not measured at fair value for financial statement purposes. The effective date of this update for public entities was for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011. Early adoption was not permitted. The adoption of this guidance resulted in expanded disclosures but did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. In June 2011, the FASB updated the guidance on Comprehensive Income. The update prohibits the presentation of the components of comprehensive income in the statements of stockholders' equity. Reporting entities are allowed to present either: a statement of comprehensive income, which reports both net income and other comprehensive income; or separate statements of net income and other comprehensive income. Under previous GAAP, all three presentations were acceptable. Regardless of the presentation selected, the Company is required to present all reclassifications between other comprehensive and net income on the face of the new statement or statements. The provisions of this update are effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 31, 2011 for public entities. The Company elected to present separate Statements of Operations and Statements of Comprehensive Income. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Consolidated Financial Statements

The consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2011 has been derived from audited consolidated financial statements and the consolidated interim financial statements included herein have been prepared without audit pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. These consolidated financial statements were prepared in accordance with GAAP for interim financial statements and with instructions for Form 10-Q and Regulation S-X Section 210.10-01. Further information on Metro Bancorp, Inc.'s (Metro or the Company) accounting policies are available in Note 1 (Significant Accounting Policies) of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011. The accompanying consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments that are, in the opinion of management, necessary to reflect a fair statement of the results for the interim periods presented. Such adjustments are of a normal, recurring nature.

These consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011. Events occurring subsequent to the date of the balance sheet have been evaluated for potential recognition or disclosure in the consolidated financial statements. The results for the three months ended March 31, 2012 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2012.

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries including Metro Bank (the Bank). All material intercompany transactions have been eliminated. Certain amounts from the prior year have been reclassified to conform to the 2012 presentation. Such reclassifications had no impact on the Company's stockholders' equity or net income.

Use of Estimates

The financial statements are prepared in conformity with GAAP. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts of assets and liabilities and require disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. Actual results could differ from these estimates. Material estimates that are particularly susceptible to significant change in the near term relate to the determination of the allowance for loan losses (allowance or ALL), impaired loans, the valuation of deferred tax assets, the valuation of foreclosed assets, the valuation of securities available for sale, the determination of other-than-temporary impairment (OTTI) on the Bank's investment securities portfolio and fair value measurements.

Other Comprehensive Income

Accounting principles generally require that recognized revenue, expenses, gains and losses be included in net income. Although certain changes in assets and liabilities, such as unrealized gains and losses on available for sale (AFS) securities, are reported as a separate component of the equity section of the balance sheet, such items, along with net income are components of comprehensive income. The only comprehensive income items that the Company presently has other than net income are net unrealized gains on securities available for sale and unrealized losses for noncredit-related losses on debt securities. These items are presented net of tax in the Statement of Comprehensive Income.

Recent Accounting Standards

In May 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) amended fair value measurement guidance to clarify the guidance for items such as: the application of the highest and best use concept to non-financial assets and liabilities; the application of fair value measurement to financial instruments classified in a reporting entity's stockholders' equity; and disclosure requirements regarding quantitative information about unobservable inputs used in the fair value measurements of level 3 assets. The update also creates an exception to fair value measurement guidance for entities which carry financial instruments within a portfolio or group, under which the entity is now permitted to base the price used for fair valuation upon a price that would be received to sell the net asset position or transfer a net liability position in an orderly transaction. In addition, the update allows for the application of premiums and discounts in a fair value measurement if the financial instrument is categorized in level 2 or 3 of the fair value hierarchy. Lastly, the updated standard contains new disclosure requirements regarding fair value amounts categorized as level 3 in the fair value hierarchy such as: disclosure of the valuation process used; effects of and relationships between unobservable inputs; usage of nonfinancial assets for purposes other than their highest and best use when that is the basis of the disclosed fair value; and categorization by level of items disclosed at fair value, but not measured at fair value for financial statement purposes. The effective date of this update for public entities was for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011. Early adoption was not permitted. The adoption of this guidance resulted in expanded disclosures but did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In June 2011, the FASB updated the guidance on Comprehensive Income. The update prohibits the presentation of the components of comprehensive income in the statements of stockholders' equity. Reporting entities are allowed to present either: a statement of comprehensive income, which reports both net income and other comprehensive income; or separate statements of net income and other comprehensive income. Under previous GAAP, all three presentations were acceptable. Regardless of the presentation selected, the Company is required to present all reclassifications between other comprehensive and net income on the face of the new statement or statements. The provisions of this update are effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 31, 2011 for public entities. The Company elected to present separate Statements of Operations and Statements of Comprehensive Income. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.