CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
		Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015
SALES AND OPERATING REVENUES:
Coal sales		$ 422,469	$ 567,288	$ 823,761	$ 1,085,027
Transportation revenues		5,482	7,780	12,040	14,928
Other sales and operating revenues		11,090	29,551	15,965	64,964
Total revenues	[1]	439,041	604,619	851,766	1,164,919
EXPENSES:
Operating expenses (excluding depreciation, depletion and amortization)		246,499	375,065	499,802	709,427
Transportation expenses		5,482	7,780	12,040	14,928
Outside coal purchases			2		324
General and administrative		18,635	18,040	36,188	35,303
Depreciation, depletion and amortization		79,145	79,801	160,028	158,069
Total operating expenses		349,761	480,688	708,058	918,051
INCOME FROM OPERATIONS		89,280	123,931	143,708	246,868
Interest expense (net of interest capitalized for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015 of $46, $154, $273 and $366, respectively)		(7,770)	(8,306)	(15,385)	(16,274)
Interest income		4	605	8	1,136
Equity in loss of affiliates, net		(37)	(22,142)	(64)	(31,828)
Other income		161	177	252	295
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES		81,638	94,265	128,519	200,197
INCOME TAX EXPENSE (BENEFIT)		6	8	(2)	6
NET INCOME		81,632	94,257	128,521	200,191
LESS: NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS		(36,259)	(33,307)	(52,306)	(73,711)
NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO ALLIANCE HOLDINGS GP, L.P. ("NET INCOME OF AHGP")		$ 45,373	$ 60,950	$ 76,215	$ 126,480
BASIC NET INCOME OF AHGP PER LIMITED PARTNER UNIT (in dollars per unit)		$ 0.76	$ 1.02	$ 1.27	$ 2.11
DILUTED NET INCOME OF AHGP PER LIMITED PARTNER UNIT (in dollars per unit)		0.76	1.02	1.27	2.11
DISTRIBUTIONS PAID PER LIMITED PARTNER UNIT (in dollars per unit)		$ 0.55	$ 0.9375	$ 1.51	$ 1.8525
WEIGHTED AVERAGE NUMBER OF UNITS OUTSTANDING - BASIC (in units)		59,863,000	59,863,000	59,863,000	59,863,000
WEIGHTED AVERAGE NUMBER OF UNITS OUTSTANDING - DILUTED (in units)		59,863,000	59,863,000	59,863,000	59,863,000

[1] Revenues included in the Other and Corporate column are primarily attributable to the Matrix Group revenues, Mt. Vernon transloading revenues, MAC revenues, Wildcat Insurance revenues and brokerage coal sales.