Loans Receivable and Allowance for Loan Losses - Loans Receivable (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total gross loans	$ 4,994,129	$ 4,962,289
Net deferred loan costs, fees and purchased premiums and discounts	17,220	16,893
Loans receivable	5,011,349	4,979,182
Real estate loans \| One-to-four family
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total gross loans	1,830,583	1,830,186
Real estate loans \| Multifamily and commercial
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total gross loans	2,132,503	2,142,154
Real estate loans \| Construction
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total gross loans	307,429	261,473
Commercial business loans
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total gross loans	339,483	333,876
Consumer loans \| Home equity loans and advances
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total gross loans	383,143	393,492
Consumer loans \| Other consumer loans
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total gross loans	$ 988	$ 1,108

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.

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount, before allowance and fees, of loans and leases receivable. Excludes loans and leases covered under loss sharing agreements.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82891408&loc=d3e4428-111522

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LoansAndLeasesReceivableBeforeFeesGross
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount before allowance of loans and leases held in portfolio, including but not limited to, commercial and consumer loans. Includes deferred interest and fees, undisbursed portion of loan balance, unamortized costs and premiums and discounts from face amounts. Excludes loans and leases covered under loss sharing agreements.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LoansAndLeasesReceivableGrossCarryingAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of deferred fees paid by borrowers and unamortized costs incurred to originate loans and leases, unamortized loan commitments and loan syndication fees, and premiums over or discounts from face amounts of loans that are being amortized into income as an adjustment to yield. Excludes amounts for loans and leases covered under loss sharing agreements.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6378536&loc=d3e10092-111533

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_UnamortizedLoanCommitmentAndOriginationFeesAndUnamortizedDiscountsOrPremiums
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivablePortfolioSegmentAxis=us-gaap_CommercialRealEstatePortfolioSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis=clbk_SingleFamilyRealEstateLoanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis=clbk_MultifamilyAndCommercialRealEstateLoanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis=us-gaap_ConstructionLoansMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivablePortfolioSegmentAxis=us-gaap_CommercialPortfolioSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivablePortfolioSegmentAxis=us-gaap_ConsumerPortfolioSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis=us-gaap_HomeEquityLoanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis=clbk_OtherLoansMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: