Organization And Presentation (Policy) (Details)	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2011
Organization And Presentation
Organization	Organization ARLP is a Delaware limited partnership listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbol "ARLP." ARLP was formed in May 1999, to acquire, upon completion of ARLP's initial public offering on August 19, 1999, certain coal production and marketing assets of Alliance Resource Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation ("ARH"), consisting of substantially all of ARH's operating subsidiaries, but excluding ARH. ARH was previously owned by our current and former management. In June 2006, our special general partner, SGP, and its parent, ARH, became wholly-owned, directly and indirectly, by Joseph W. Craft III, a director and the President and Chief Executive Officer of our managing general partner. SGP, a Delaware limited liability company, holds a 0.01% general partner interest in each of ARLP and the Intermediate Partnership. We have a time sharing agreement for the use of aircraft and we lease certain assets, including coal reserves and certain surface facilities, owned by SGP. We are managed by our managing general partner, MGP, a Delaware limited liability company, which holds a 0.99% and a 1.0001% managing general partner interest in ARLP and the Intermediate Partnership, respectively, and a 0.001% managing member interest in Alliance Coal. AHGP is a Delaware limited partnership that was formed to become the owner and controlling member of MGP. AHGP completed its initial public offering on May 15, 2006. AHGP owns directly and indirectly 100% of the members' interest of MGP, the incentive distribution rights ("IDR") in ARLP and 15,544,169 common units of ARLP.
Basis Of Presentation	Basis of Presentation The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts and operations of the ARLP Partnership and present our financial position as of June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, results of our operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010 and cash flows for the six months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010. All of our intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated. These condensed consolidated financial statements and notes are unaudited. However, in the opinion of management, these financial statements reflect all adjustments (which include only normal recurring adjustments) necessary for a fair presentation of the results for the periods presented. Results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results for a full year. These condensed consolidated financial statements and notes are prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission for interim reporting and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010.
Use Of Estimates	The preparation of the ARLP Partnership's condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") of the United States ("U.S.") requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts and disclosures in our condensed consolidated financial statements. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Organization And Presentation (Policy) (Details)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2011

Organization

ARLP is a Delaware limited partnership listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbol "ARLP." ARLP was formed in May 1999, to acquire, upon completion of ARLP's initial public offering on August 19, 1999, certain coal production and marketing assets of Alliance Resource Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation ("ARH"), consisting of substantially all of ARH's operating subsidiaries, but excluding ARH. ARH was previously owned by our current and former management. In June 2006, our special general partner, SGP, and its parent, ARH, became wholly-owned, directly and indirectly, by Joseph W. Craft III, a director and the President and Chief Executive Officer of our managing general partner. SGP, a Delaware limited liability company, holds a 0.01% general partner interest in each of ARLP and the Intermediate Partnership. We have a time sharing agreement for the use of aircraft and we lease certain assets, including coal reserves and certain surface facilities, owned by SGP.

We are managed by our managing general partner, MGP, a Delaware limited liability company, which holds a 0.99% and a 1.0001% managing general partner interest in ARLP and the Intermediate Partnership, respectively, and a 0.001% managing member interest in Alliance Coal. AHGP is a Delaware limited partnership that was formed to become the owner and controlling member of MGP. AHGP completed its initial public offering on May 15, 2006. AHGP owns directly and indirectly 100% of the members' interest of MGP, the incentive distribution rights ("IDR") in ARLP and 15,544,169 common units of ARLP.

Basis Of Presentation

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts and operations of the ARLP Partnership and present our financial position as of June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, results of our operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010 and cash flows for the six months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010. All of our intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated.

These condensed consolidated financial statements and notes are unaudited. However, in the opinion of management, these financial statements reflect all adjustments (which include only normal recurring adjustments) necessary for a fair presentation of the results for the periods presented. Results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results for a full year.

These condensed consolidated financial statements and notes are prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission for interim reporting and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010.

Use Of Estimates

The preparation of the ARLP Partnership's condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") of the United States ("U.S.") requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts and disclosures in our condensed consolidated financial statements. Actual results could differ from those estimates.