Stock Options, Stock Appreciation Rights and Restricted Shares (Details) (USD $)	6 Months Ended				3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended			3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended			12 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended			3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended			6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2012 Stock Options [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs) [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Restricted Share [Member]		Jun. 30, 2011 Restricted Share [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Restricted Share [Member]		Jun. 30, 2011 Restricted Share [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Common Stock Options and Stock Appreciation Rights [Member]		Jun. 30, 2011 Common Stock Options and Stock Appreciation Rights [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Common Stock Options and Stock Appreciation Rights [Member]		Jun. 30, 2011 Common Stock Options and Stock Appreciation Rights [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Common Stock Options and Stock Appreciation Rights [Member]		Jun. 30, 2012 Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member] Minimum [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member] Maximum [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Salary Stock Unit Awards [Member]	Jun. 30, 2011 Salary Stock Unit Awards [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Salary Stock Unit Awards [Member]	Jun. 30, 2011 Salary Stock Unit Awards [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Equity incentive plan 2004 [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Equity incentive plan 2004 [Member] Time Based Awards [Member]		Jun. 30, 2012 Equity incentive plan 2004 [Member] Outside Director Awards [Member]
Stock Options, Stock Appreciation Rights and Restricted Shares [Abstract]
Number of equity incentive plan	2
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares available for issuances (in shares)																												701,000
Number of stocks outstanding to purchase to purchase common stock (in shares)			1,353,000	7,500
Stock options and SAR outstanding to purchase common shares (in shares)	599,000	644,000									1,360,647			1,360,647			1,581,038
Number [Roll Forward]
Outstanding, Beginning Balance (in shares)														1,581,038
Granted (in shares)														0
Exercised (in shares)														(213,760)
Forfeited (in shares)														(6,631)
Outstanding, Ending Balance (in shares)	599,000	644,000									1,360,647			1,360,647			1,581,038
Outstanding and expected to vest (in shares)											1,360,524			1,360,524
Options exercisable (in shares)											1,319,286			1,319,286
Weighted average exercise price [Abstract]
Outstanding, Beginning Balance (in dollars per share)														$ 20.81
Granted (in dollars per share)														$ 0
Exercised (in dollars per share)														$ 5.30
Forfeited (in dollars per share)														$ 28.22
Outstanding, Ending Balance (in dollars per share)											$ 23.11			$ 23.11			$ 20.81
Outstanding and expected to vest (in dollars per share)											$ 23.11			$ 23.11
Options exercisable (in dollars per share)											$ 23.11			$ 23.11
Weighted average contractual remaining term [Abstract]
Outstanding														3 years 6 months 29 days			3 years 7 months 13 days
Outstanding														3 years 6 months 29 days			3 years 7 months 13 days
Outstanding and expected to vest														3 years 6 months 10 days
Options exercisable														3 years 6 months 29 days
Aggregate intrisic value [Abstract]
Outstanding														$ 3,683,000	[1]
Outstanding											2,711,000	[2]		2,711,000	[2]		3,683,000	[1]
Outstanding and expected to vest											2,711,000	[2]		2,711,000	[2]
Options exercisable											2,711,000	[2]		2,711,000	[2]
Quoted closing price of common stock (in dollars per share)											$ 19.51			$ 19.51			$ 18.35
Number of awards used in aggregate intrinsic value (in shares)											384,754			384,754			271,683
Number of award option vested with no intrinsic value (in shares)														88,000
Average exercise price of option awards with no intrinsic value (in dollars per share)														$ 27.50
Unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested stock options granted											155,000			155,000
Weighted average recognition period of unrecognized compensation cost														6 months 7 days
Stock option compensation expense recorded using the Black-Scholes valuation model											97,000		311,000	251,000		681,000
Number [Roll Forward]
Unvested (in shares)								849,703
Shares awarded (in shares)					140,345														164,858	144,350									125,365	[3]	14,980	[4]
Restrictions lapsed and shares released to associates/directors (in shares)					(189,134)																								0	[3]	0	[4]
Shares forfeited (in shares)					(46,235)	[5]																							(4,725)	[3],[6]	0	[4]
Unvested (in shares)					754,679			754,679																					120,640	[3]	14,980	[4]
Grant date weighted average cost [Roll Forward]
Unvested (in dollars per share)								$ 15.61
Shares awarded (in dollars per share)								$ 16.29
Restrictions lapsed and shares released to associates/directors (in dollars per share)								$ 15.94
Shares forfeited (in dollars per share)								$ 18.69	[5]
Unvested (in dollars per share)					$ 15.56			$ 15.56
Restricted stock grants grouped by similar vesting criteria [Abstract]
Vesting Period in years																													5 years	[3]	1 year	[4]
Shares awarded (in shares)					140,345														164,858	144,350									125,365	[3]	14,980	[4]
Restrictions lapsed and shares released to participants (in shares)					189,134																								0	[3]	0	[4]
Shares forfeited by participants (in shares)					46,235	[5]																							4,725	[3],[6]	0	[4]
Shares Unvested (in shares)					754,679			754,679																					120,640	[3]	14,980	[4]
Compensation costs attributable to all restricted share awards					814,000		762,000	1,672,000		1,570,000
Restricted share units granted to the senior executive officers (in shares)					140,345														164,858	144,350									125,365	[3]	14,980	[4]
Percentage of number of restricted shares eligible for conversion (in hundredths)																						0.00%	100.00%
Percentage of incremental awards to vest (in hundredths)																					20.00%
Salary stock unit Awards issued during period (in shares)																								29,836	12,511	57,508	18,680
Compensation costs attributable to the SSUs	$ 2,922,294	$ 2,542,367																						$ 478,000	$ 291,000	$ 1,000,000	$ 194,000

[1] The aggregate intrinsic value is calculated as the difference between the exercise price of the underlying awards and the quoted closing price of Pinnacle Financial common stock of $18.35 per common share at December 31, 2012 for the approximately 271,683 options and stock appreciation rights that were in-the-money at June 30, 2012.

[2] The aggregate intrinsic value is calculated as the difference between the exercise price of the underlying awards and the quoted closing price of Pinnacle Financial common stock of $19.51 per common share at June 30, 2012 for the approximately 384,754 options and stock appreciation rights that were in-the-money at June 30, 2012.

[3] These shares vest in equal annual installments on the anniversary date of the grant.

[4] Restricted share awards are issued to the outside members of the board of directors in accordance with their board compensation plan. Restrictions lapse on the one year anniversary date of the award based on each individual board member meeting their attendance goals for the various board and board committee meetings to which each member was scheduled to attend.

[5] Represents 30,132 shares forfeited due to failure to meet performance targets and 16,103 shares forfeited due to employee termination and retirement.

[6] These shares represent forfeitures resulting from associate terminations during the six months ended June 30, 2012.