Number of additional Performance Deferred Share Units that can be granted as a percentage of units originally granted

No definition available.

Name:	cp_NumberofAdditionalPerformanceDeferredShareUnitsThatCanBeGrantedasaPercentageofUnitsOriginallyGranted
Namespace Prefix:	cp_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award Grant Date Fair Value

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cp_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardGrantDateFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	cp_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Trading Days Used to Calculate Average Share Price

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cp_SharebasedCompensationArrangementbySharebasedPaymentAwardTradingDaysUsedtoCalculateAverageSharePrice
Namespace Prefix:	cp_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of expense for award under share-based payment arrangement. Excludes amount capitalized.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120381028&loc=d3e5047-113901

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SAB Topic 14.F)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=115993241&loc=d3e301413-122809

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (h)(1)(i)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120381028&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Period over which grantee's right to exercise award under share-based payment arrangement is no longer contingent on satisfaction of service or performance condition, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days. Includes, but is not limited to, combination of market, performance or service condition.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120381028&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardAwardVestingPeriod1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The number of grants made during the period on other than stock (or unit) option plans (for example, phantom stock or unit plan, stock or unit appreciation rights plan, performance target plan).

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)(2)(iii)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120381028&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of cash paid to settle liability for award under share-based payment arrangement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (d)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120381028&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsShareBasedLiabilitiesPaid
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The number of equity-based payment instruments, excluding stock (or unit) options, that vested during the reporting period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)(2)(iii)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120381028&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsVestedInPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Gross number of share options (or share units) granted during the period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsGrantsInPeriodGross
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Weighted average per share amount at which grantees can acquire shares of common stock by exercise of options.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementsByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageExercisePrice
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of vesting of award under share-based payment arrangement.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SharebasedCompensationArrangementBySharebasedPaymentAwardAwardVestingRightsPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Period from grant date that an equity-based award expires, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120381028&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SharebasedCompensationArrangementBySharebasedPaymentAwardExpirationPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Value, before forfeiture, of shares granted under share-based payment arrangement. Excludes employee stock ownership plan (ESOP).

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_StockGrantedDuringPeriodValueSharebasedCompensationGross
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_RangeAxis=srt_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_RangeAxis=srt_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=us-gaap_PerformanceSharesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PlanNameAxis=cp_RetentionGrantMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=cp_PerformanceDeferredShareUnitsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=cp_PSUsandPDSUsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=cp_DeferredShareUnitMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Stock-Based Compensation - Narrative (Details) - CAD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2021	Mar. 31, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2020
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	$ 25		$ 43	$ 49	$ 54
Stock Options
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of options issued				1,339,886
Weighted-average grant price				$ 87.64
Expiration period				7 years
Stock options grant date fair value				$ 26
Stock Options \| Minimum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period				12 months
Stock Options \| Maximum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period				48 months
Performance Share Units (PSUs)
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Units issued				426,402		626,400
Grant date fair value				$ 37
PSU payout percentage						200.00%
Number of trading days						30 days
Units paid in period		570,056
Cash payout		$ 98
Performance Share Units (PSUs) \| Retention Grant
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Units issued						184,875
Performance Deferred Share Units (PDSUs)
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Units issued				12,694
Grant date fair value				$ 1
Number of additional PDSUs that can be granted as a % of original units granted	25.00%			25.00%
PSUs and PDSUs
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period				3 years
Deferred Share Units (DSUs)
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period				36 months
Units issued				53,391
Grant date fair value				$ 5