Equity and Partners' Capital - Limited Partner and General Partner Units (details) (Western Gas Partners [Member])	1 Months Ended				3 Months Ended						12 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	1 Months Ended				3 Months Ended			12 Months Ended		3 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013		May 31, 2013		Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014 December 2013 Equity Offering [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 Texas Express And Front Range [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 Common Units [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 Common Units [Member] Continuous Offering Program [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 Common Units [Member] Continuous Offering Program [Member]		Mar. 31, 2014 Common Units [Member] December 2013 Equity Offering [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 General Partner [Member]		May 31, 2013 General Partner [Member]		Mar. 31, 2014 General Partner [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 General Partner [Member] Continuous Offering Program [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 General Partner [Member] Continuous Offering Program [Member]		Mar. 31, 2014 General Partner [Member] December 2013 Equity Offering [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 General Partner [Member] Texas Express And Front Range [Member]
Capital Unit [Line Items]
Balance					119,717,157			117,322,812										2,394,345
Acquisition							314,786																	6,296
Long-term incentive plan awards					1,280			1,280										0
Common units issued	4,800,000	[1]	7,015,000	[2]					0	[3]	685,735	[4]	300,000
Offering						306,122								97,959	[1],[5]	143,163	[2],[5]		0	[3],[5]	13,996	[4],[5]	6,122
Balance	119,717,157				120,339,345			117,932,582						2,394,345				2,406,763

[1] Includes the issuance of 300,000 WES common units on January 3, 2014, pursuant to the partial exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option granted in connection with the December 2013 equity offering. Net proceeds from this partial exercise (including WES GP’s proportionate capital contribution) were $18.2 million.

[2] Includes the issuance of 915,000 WES common units pursuant to the full exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option granted in connection with the May 2013 equity offering.

[3] During the three months ended March 31, 2014, WES did not issue any common units under the Continuous Offering Program.

[4] Represents common and general partner units of WES issued during the year ended December 31, 2013, pursuant to WES’s registration statement filed with the SEC in August 2012 authorizing the issuance of up to an aggregate of $125.0 million of common units (the “Continuous Offering Program”). Gross proceeds generated (including WES GP’s proportionate capital contributions) were $42.6 million. The price per unit in the table above represents an average price for all issuances under the Continuous Offering Program during 2013.

[5] Represents general partner units of WES issued to WES GP in exchange for WES GP’s proportionate capital contribution to maintain its 2.0% general partner interest.