<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>
    <schemaVersion>X0201</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType><periodOfReport>2003-10-16</periodOfReport>
    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000814184</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>TCF FINANCIAL CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>TCB</issuerTradingSymbol></issuer><reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001238607</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>EVANS ROBERT ENGLES</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>200 LAKE STREET EAST</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>WAYZATA</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>MN</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>55391-1693</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
<isDirector>1</isDirector><isOfficer>0</isOfficer><isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner><isOther>0</isOther></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><nonDerivativeTable><nonDerivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>173551.6134</value><footnoteId id="F1"/><footnoteId id="F2"/></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>I</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value>Deferred Comp. Plan</value></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeHolding><nonDerivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-10-16</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>S</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>200</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><value>50.34</value></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>D</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>205975</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeTransaction><nonDerivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-10-16</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>S</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>4800</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><value>50.50</value></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>D</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>201175</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeTransaction><nonDerivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-10-16</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>S</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>6000</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><value>50.75</value></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>D</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>195175</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeTransaction><nonDerivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-10-16</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>S</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>200</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><value>50.85</value></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>D</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>194975</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeTransaction><nonDerivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-10-16</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>S</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>500</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><value>50.84</value></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>D</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>194475</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeTransaction><nonDerivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-10-16</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>S</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>300</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><value>50.82</value></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>D</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>194175</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeTransaction><nonDerivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-10-16</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>S</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>2600</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><value>50.81</value></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>D</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>191575</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeTransaction><nonDerivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-10-16</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>S</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>3400</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><value>50.80</value></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>D</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>188175</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeTransaction><nonDerivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-10-16</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>S</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>800</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><value>50.90</value></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>D</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>187375</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeTransaction><nonDerivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-10-16</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>S</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>3020</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><value>50.63</value></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>D</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>184355</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeTransaction><nonDerivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>2660</value><footnoteId id="F1"/></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>I</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value>By IRA Spouse</value></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeHolding><nonDerivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>15000</value><footnoteId id="F1"/></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>I</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value>By Spouse</value></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeHolding></nonDerivativeTable><footnotes><footnote id="F1">The filing of this statement shall not be construed as an admission that the undersigned is, for the purpose of Section 16 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, the beneficial owner of any equity securities covered by this statement other than those owned directly by the undersigned.</footnote><footnote id="F2">The shares noted are derivative securities based on the Reporting Person's benefits under a non-qualified plan.</footnote></footnotes><remarks/><ownerSignature><signatureName>Robert E. Evans By POA Pam Hulwi</signatureName><signatureDate>2003-10-20</signatureDate></ownerSignature></ownershipDocument>

