<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0202</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2005-04-05</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000004447</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>AMERADA HESS CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>AHC</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001191128</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>STRODE ROBERT P</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>1185 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10036</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>Senior Vice President</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock, $1.00 par value</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2005-04-05</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>F</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>1984</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>98.67</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>31516</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">This amount includes 28,000 shares held in escrow pursuant to the Corporation's Second Amended and Restated 1995 Long-Term Incentive Plan. The reporting person has only voting power of these shares until the lapsing of the period set by the Committee administering the plan at which time the shares plus accrued dividends will be delivered to the reporting person if he is still an employee of the Corporation. This amount includes 7,500 shares inadvertently omitted from prior reports of the reporting person's holdings due to an arithmetical error in aggregating prior holdings. All transactions by the reporting person prior to the transaction reported herein have been properly reported.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>George C. Barry for Robert P. Strode</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2005-12-09</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
