Consolidated Statement of Stockholders' Equity - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	Total	Cumulative adjustment due to adoption of new credit loss standard	Class A Common Stock	Common Stock	Common Stock Class A Common Stock	Common Stock Class B Common Stock	Additional Paid in Capital	Retained Earnings	Retained Earnings Cumulative adjustment due to adoption of new credit loss standard	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income	Noncontrolling Interest	Noncontrolling Interest Cumulative adjustment due to adoption of new credit loss standard
Beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2019					89,768	151,047
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2019	$ 627,645	$ (149)			$ 90	$ 151	$ 204,711	$ 2,420	$ (67)	$ 79	$ 420,194	$ (82)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	(3,489)							(1,216)			(2,273)
Equity-based compensation expense	7,524						4,973				2,551
Issuance of Class A common stock upon settlement of restricted stock units, net of shares withheld for tax (shares)					630
Issuance of Class A common stock upon settlement of restricted stock units, net of shares withheld for tax	(3,911)						(3,375)				(536)
Dividends declared	(2,891)							(2,891)
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	(4,304)										(4,304)
Exchanges of noncontrolling interest for Class A common stock (in shares)					4,637	(4,637)
Exchanges of noncontrolling interest for Class A common stock					$ 5	$ (5)	13,403				(13,403)
Recognition of tax receivable agreement liability resulting from exchanges of noncontrolling interest for Class A common stock	(19,198)						(19,198)
Net deferred tax asset resulting from changes in outside basis difference on investment in Switch, Ltd.	16,610						16,610
Ending balance (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2020					95,035	146,410
Ending balance at Mar. 31, 2020	$ 617,837				$ 95	$ 146	217,124	(1,754)		79	402,147
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Accounting Standards Update [Extensible List]	us-gaap:AccountingStandardsUpdate201613Member
Dividends declared (in dollars per share)	$ 0.0294
Beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2019					89,768	151,047
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2019	$ 627,645	$ (149)			$ 90	$ 151	204,711	2,420	$ (67)	79	420,194	$ (82)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	23,080
Issuance of Class A common stock upon settlement of restricted stock units, net of shares withheld for tax (shares)			18,300
Foreign currency translation adjustment	0
Ending balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2020					108,955	131,667
Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2020	609,083				$ 109	$ 132	242,955	(325)		79	366,133
Beginning balance (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2020					95,035	146,410
Beginning balance at Mar. 31, 2020	617,837				$ 95	$ 146	217,124	(1,754)		79	402,147
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	13,336							5,097			8,239
Equity-based compensation expense	7,510						5,416				2,094
Issuance of Class A common stock upon settlement of restricted stock units, net of shares withheld for tax (shares)					16
Issuance of Class A common stock upon settlement of restricted stock units, net of shares withheld for tax	(121)						(330)				209
Issuance of Class A common stock upon exercise of stock options (in shares)					169
Issuance of Class A common stock upon exercise of stock options	2,876						596				2,280
Issuance of restricted stock awards (in shares)					59
Dividends declared	(3,245)							(3,245)
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	(3,934)										(3,934)
Exchanges of noncontrolling interest for Class A common stock (in shares)					11,488	(11,488)
Exchanges of noncontrolling interest for Class A common stock					$ 12	$ (12)	31,840				(31,840)
Repurchase of common units and cancellation of Class B common stock (in shares)						(1,126)
Repurchase of common units and cancellation of Class B common stock	(20,000)						(7,758)				(12,242)
Recognition of tax receivable agreement liability resulting from exchanges of noncontrolling interest for Class A common stock	(52,811)						(52,811)
Net deferred tax asset resulting from changes in outside basis difference on investment in Switch, Ltd.	44,394						44,394
Ending balance (in shares) at Jun. 30, 2020					106,767	133,796
Ending balance at Jun. 30, 2020	$ 605,842				$ 107	$ 134	238,471	98		79	366,953
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Dividends declared (in dollars per share)	$ 0.0294
Net income	$ 13,233							5,206			8,027
Equity-based compensation expense	7,116						5,419				1,697
Issuance of Class A common stock upon settlement of restricted stock units, net of shares withheld for tax (shares)					51
Issuance of Class A common stock upon settlement of restricted stock units, net of shares withheld for tax	(331)						(1,538)				1,207
Issuance of Class A common stock upon exercise of stock options (in shares)					7
Issuance of Class A common stock upon exercise of stock options	125						57				68
Dividends declared	(5,629)							(5,629)
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	(6,583)										(6,583)
Exchanges of noncontrolling interest for Class A common stock (in shares)					2,129	(2,129)
Exchanges of noncontrolling interest for Class A common stock					$ 2	$ (2)	5,236				(5,236)
Recognition of tax receivable agreement liability resulting from exchanges of noncontrolling interest for Class A common stock	(9,605)						(9,605)
Net deferred tax asset resulting from changes in outside basis difference on investment in Switch, Ltd.	4,915						4,915
Foreign currency translation adjustment	0
Ending balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2020					108,955	131,667
Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2020	609,083				$ 109	$ 132	242,955	(325)		79	366,133
Beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2020					119,009	121,640
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2020	610,967				$ 119	$ 122	266,129	9		79	344,509
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	24,394							11,641			12,753
Equity-based compensation expense	7,297						6,359				938
Issuance of Class A common stock upon settlement of restricted stock units, net of shares withheld for tax (shares)					812
Issuance of Class A common stock upon settlement of restricted stock units, net of shares withheld for tax	(5,474)			$ 1			(5,622)				147
Dividends declared	(6,562)							(6,562)
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	(5,696)										(5,696)
Exchanges of noncontrolling interest for Class A common stock (in shares)					7,725	(7,725)
Exchanges of noncontrolling interest for Class A common stock					$ 8	$ (8)	22,364				(22,364)
Recognition of tax receivable agreement liability resulting from exchanges of noncontrolling interest for Class A common stock	(32,477)						(32,477)
Net deferred tax asset resulting from changes in outside basis difference on investment in Switch, Ltd.	26,752						26,752
Foreign currency translation adjustment	(474)									(61)	(413)
Ending balance (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2021					127,546	113,915
Ending balance at Mar. 31, 2021	$ 618,727				$ 128	$ 114	283,505	5,088		18	329,874
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Dividends declared (in dollars per share)	$ 0.05
Beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2020					119,009	121,640
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2020	$ 610,967				$ 119	$ 122	266,129	9		79	344,509
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	33,211
Issuance of Class A common stock upon settlement of restricted stock units, net of shares withheld for tax (shares)			17,100
Foreign currency translation adjustment	(474)
Ending balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2021					137,489	104,515
Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2021	613,658				$ 137	$ 105	313,982	(5,020)		18	304,436
Beginning balance (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2021					127,546	113,915
Beginning balance at Mar. 31, 2021	618,727				$ 128	$ 114	283,505	5,088		18	329,874
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	9,684							4,361			5,323
Equity-based compensation expense	7,528						6,906				622
Issuance of Class A common stock upon settlement of restricted stock units, net of shares withheld for tax (shares)					21
Issuance of Class A common stock upon settlement of restricted stock units, net of shares withheld for tax	(153)						(777)				624
Issuance of Class A common stock upon exercise of stock options (in shares)					181
Issuance of Class A common stock upon exercise of stock options	3,070						1,232				1,838
Issuance of restricted stock awards (in shares)					65
Dividends declared	(6,716)							(6,716)
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	(5,532)										(5,532)
Exchanges of noncontrolling interest for Class A common stock (in shares)					3,277	(3,277)
Exchanges of noncontrolling interest for Class A common stock					$ 3	$ (3)	9,201				(9,201)
Recognition of tax receivable agreement liability resulting from exchanges of noncontrolling interest for Class A common stock	(14,973)						(14,973)
Net deferred tax asset resulting from changes in outside basis difference on investment in Switch, Ltd.	10,691						10,691
Ending balance (in shares) at Jun. 30, 2021					131,090	110,638
Ending balance at Jun. 30, 2021	$ 622,326				$ 131	$ 111	295,785	2,733		18	323,548
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Dividends declared (in dollars per share)	$ 0.05
Net income	$ (867)							(369)			(498)
Equity-based compensation expense	7,053						6,731				322
Issuance of Class A common stock upon settlement of restricted stock units, net of shares withheld for tax (shares)					55
Issuance of Class A common stock upon settlement of restricted stock units, net of shares withheld for tax	(523)						(1,113)				590
Issuance of Class A common stock upon exercise of stock options (in shares)					215
Issuance of Class A common stock upon exercise of stock options	3,658						2,780				878
Issuance of restricted stock awards (in shares)					6
Dividends declared	(7,384)							(7,384)
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	(5,487)										(5,487)
Exchanges of noncontrolling interest for Class A common stock (in shares)					6,123	(6,123)
Exchanges of noncontrolling interest for Class A common stock					$ 6	$ (6)	14,917				(14,917)
Recognition of tax receivable agreement liability resulting from exchanges of noncontrolling interest for Class A common stock	(32,694)						(32,694)
Net deferred tax asset resulting from changes in outside basis difference on investment in Switch, Ltd.	27,576						27,576
Foreign currency translation adjustment	0
Ending balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2021					137,489	104,515
Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2021	$ 613,658				$ 137	$ 105	$ 313,982	$ (5,020)		$ 18	$ 304,436
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Dividends declared (in dollars per share)	$ 0.0525