Capital and Regulatory Matters - Actual and Required Capital Ratios (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Cullen/Frost [Member]
Compliance with Regulatory Capital Requirements under Banking Regulations [Line Items]
Common Equity Tier 1 to Risk-Weighted Assets, Actual, Capital Amount	$ 2,504,319	$ 2,426,048
Common Equity Tier 1 to Risk-Weighted Assets, Actual , Ratio	12.69%	12.42%
Common Equity Tier 1 to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Phase-In Schedule, Capital Amount	$ 1,258,491	$ 1,123,430
Common Equity Tier 1 to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Phase-In Schedule, Ratio	6.375%	5.75%
Common Equity Tier 1 to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Fully Phased-In, Capital Amount	$ 1,381,873	$ 1,367,583
Common Equity Tier 1 to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Fully Phased In, Ratio	7.00%	7.00%
Common Equity Tier 1 to Risk-Weighted Assets, Required To Be Considered Well Capitalized, Capital Amount	$ 1,283,167	$ 1,269,965
Common Equity Tier 1 to Risk-Weighted Assets, Required To Be Considered Well Capitalized, Ratio	6.50%	6.50%
Tier 1 Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Actual, Capital Amount	$ 2,648,805	$ 2,570,534
Tier 1 Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Actual, Ratio	13.42%	13.16%
Tier 1 Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Phase-In Schedule, Capital Amount	$ 1,554,607	$ 1,416,499
Tier 1 Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Phase-In Schedule, Ratio	7.875%	7.25%
Tier 1 Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Fully Phased-In, Capital Amount	$ 1,677,988	$ 1,660,637
Tier 1 Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Fully Phased-In, Ratio	8.50%	8.50%
Tier 1 Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Required to be Considered Well Capitalized, Capital Amount	$ 1,579,283	$ 1,563,033
Tier 1 Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Required to be Considered Well Capitalized, Ratio	8.00%	8.00%
Total Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Actual, Capital Amount	$ 3,032,190	$ 2,959,326
Total Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Actual, Ratio	15.36%	15.15%
Total Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Phase-In Schedule, Capital Amount	$ 1,949,427	$ 1,807,257
Total Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Phase - In Schedule, Ratio	9.875%	9.25%
Total Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Fully Phased-In, Capital Amount	$ 2,072,809	$ 2,051,375
Total Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Fully Phased-In, Ratio	10.50%	10.50%
Total Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Required to be Considered Well Capitalized, Capital Amount	$ 1,974,104	$ 1,953,792
Total Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Required to be Considered Well Capitalized, Ratio	10.00%	10.00%
Leverage Ratio, Actual, Capital Amount	$ 2,648,805	$ 2,570,534
Leverage Ratio, Actual, Ratio	8.62%	8.46%
Leverage Ratio, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Phase-In Schedule, Capital Amount	$ 1,228,567	$ 1,215,227
Leverage Ratio, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Phase-In Schedule, Ratio	4.00%	4.00%
Leverage Ratio, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Fully Phased-In, Capital Amount	$ 1,228,567	$ 1,215,186
Leverage Ratio, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Fully Phased-In, Ratio	4.00%	4.00%
Leverage Ratio, Required to be Considered Well Capitalized, Capital Amount	$ 1,535,709	$ 1,519,034
Leverage Ratio, Required to be Considered Well Capitalized, Ratio	5.00%	5.00%
Frost Bank [Member]
Compliance with Regulatory Capital Requirements under Banking Regulations [Line Items]
Common Equity Tier 1 to Risk-Weighted Assets, Actual, Capital Amount	$ 2,560,828	$ 2,518,999
Common Equity Tier 1 to Risk-Weighted Assets, Actual , Ratio	13.00%	12.92%
Common Equity Tier 1 to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Phase-In Schedule, Capital Amount	$ 1,255,352	$ 1,120,663
Common Equity Tier 1 to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Phase-In Schedule, Ratio	6.375%	5.75%
Common Equity Tier 1 to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Fully Phased-In, Capital Amount	$ 1,378,426	$ 1,364,214
Common Equity Tier 1 to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Fully Phased In, Ratio	7.00%	7.00%
Common Equity Tier 1 to Risk-Weighted Assets, Required To Be Considered Well Capitalized, Capital Amount	$ 1,279,967	$ 1,266,836
Common Equity Tier 1 to Risk-Weighted Assets, Required To Be Considered Well Capitalized, Ratio	6.50%	6.50%
Tier 1 Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Actual, Capital Amount	$ 2,560,828	$ 2,518,999
Tier 1 Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Actual, Ratio	13.00%	12.92%
Tier 1 Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Phase-In Schedule, Capital Amount	$ 1,550,729	$ 1,413,010
Tier 1 Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Phase-In Schedule, Ratio	7.875%	7.25%
Tier 1 Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Fully Phased-In, Capital Amount	$ 1,673,803	$ 1,656,546
Tier 1 Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Fully Phased-In, Ratio	8.50%	8.50%
Tier 1 Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Required to be Considered Well Capitalized, Capital Amount	$ 1,575,344	$ 1,559,183
Tier 1 Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Required to be Considered Well Capitalized, Ratio	8.00%	8.00%
Total Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Actual, Capital Amount	$ 2,711,213	$ 2,674,791
Total Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Actual, Ratio	13.77%	13.72%
Total Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Phase-In Schedule, Capital Amount	$ 1,944,565	$ 1,802,805
Total Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Phase - In Schedule, Ratio	9.875%	9.25%
Total Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Fully Phased-In, Capital Amount	$ 2,067,639	$ 2,046,321
Total Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Fully Phased-In, Ratio	10.50%	10.50%
Total Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Required to be Considered Well Capitalized, Capital Amount	$ 1,969,180	$ 1,948,979
Total Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Required to be Considered Well Capitalized, Ratio	10.00%	10.00%
Leverage Ratio, Actual, Capital Amount	$ 2,560,828	$ 2,518,999
Leverage Ratio, Actual, Ratio	8.34%	8.30%
Leverage Ratio, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Phase-In Schedule, Capital Amount	$ 1,227,539	$ 1,214,295
Leverage Ratio, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Phase-In Schedule, Ratio	4.00%	4.00%
Leverage Ratio, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Fully Phased-In, Capital Amount	$ 1,227,539	$ 1,214,254
Leverage Ratio, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Fully Phased-In, Ratio	4.00%	4.00%
Leverage Ratio, Required to be Considered Well Capitalized, Capital Amount	$ 1,534,424	$ 1,517,869
Leverage Ratio, Required to be Considered Well Capitalized, Ratio	5.00%	5.00%