Capital and Regulatory Matters - Actual and Required Capital Ratios (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Cullen/Frost [Member]
Compliance with Regulatory Capital Requirements under Banking Regulations [Line Items]
Common Equity Tier 1 to Risk-Weighted Assets, Actual, Capital Amount	$ 2,710,546	$ 2,642,475
Common Equity Tier 1 to Risk-Weighted Assets, Actual , Ratio	12.34%	12.27%
Common Equity Tier 1 to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Phase-In Schedule, Capital Amount		$ 1,372,573
Common Equity Tier 1 to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Phase-In Schedule, Ratio		6.375%
Common Equity Tier 1 to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Fully Phased-In, Capital Amount	$ 1,537,237	$ 1,507,139
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	$ 1,427,434	$ 1,358,171
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	$ 2,855,032	$ 2,786,961
Tier 1 Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Actual, Ratio	13.00%	12.94%
Tier 1 Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Phase-In Schedule, Capital Amount		$ 1,695,532
Tier 1 Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Phase-In Schedule, Ratio		7.875%
Tier 1 Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Fully Phased-In, Capital Amount	$ 1,866,645	$ 1,830,098
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	$ 1,756,842	$ 1,671,595
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	$ 3,224,882	$ 3,152,593
Total Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Actual, Ratio	14.68%	14.64%
Total Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Phase-In Schedule, Capital Amount		$ 2,126,143
Total Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Phase - In Schedule, Ratio		9.875%
Total Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Fully Phased-In, Capital Amount	$ 2,305,856	$ 2,260,709
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	$ 2,196,053	$ 2,089,494
Total Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Required to be Considered Well Capitalized, Ratio	10.00%	10.00%
Leverage Ratio, Actual, Capital Amount	$ 2,855,032	$ 2,786,961
Leverage Ratio, Actual, Ratio	9.35%	9.06%
Leverage Ratio, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Phase-In Schedule, Capital Amount		$ 1,231,028
Leverage Ratio, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Phase-In Schedule, Ratio		4.00%
Leverage Ratio, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Fully Phased-In, Capital Amount	$ 1,221,268	$ 1,231,028
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	$ 1,526,584	$ 1,538,785
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	$ 2,784,786	$ 2,743,973
Common Equity Tier 1 to Risk-Weighted Assets, Actual , Ratio	12.71%	12.78%
Common Equity Tier 1 to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Phase-In Schedule, Capital Amount		$ 1,368,701
Common Equity Tier 1 to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Phase-In Schedule, Ratio		6.375%
Common Equity Tier 1 to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Fully Phased-In, Capital Amount	$ 1,533,226	$ 1,502,887
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	$ 1,423,709	$ 1,354,222
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	$ 2,784,786	$ 2,743,973
Tier 1 Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Actual, Ratio	12.71%	12.78%
Tier 1 Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Phase-In Schedule, Capital Amount		$ 1,690,748
Tier 1 Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Phase-In Schedule, Ratio		7.875%
Tier 1 Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Fully Phased-In, Capital Amount	$ 1,861,774	$ 1,824,934
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	$ 1,752,258	$ 1,666,735
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	$ 2,921,636	$ 2,876,605
Total Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Actual, Ratio	13.34%	13.40%
Total Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Phase-In Schedule, Capital Amount		$ 2,120,144
Total Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Phase - In Schedule, Ratio		9.875%
Total Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Fully Phased-In, Capital Amount	$ 2,299,838	$ 2,254,331
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	$ 2,190,322	$ 2,083,419
Total Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets, Required to be Considered Well Capitalized, Ratio	10.00%	10.00%
Leverage Ratio, Actual, Capital Amount	$ 2,784,786	$ 2,743,973
Leverage Ratio, Actual, Ratio	9.13%	8.93%
Leverage Ratio, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Phase-In Schedule, Capital Amount		$ 1,229,650
Leverage Ratio, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Phase-In Schedule, Ratio		4.00%
Leverage Ratio, Minimum Capital Required - Basel III Fully Phased-In, Capital Amount	$ 1,220,083	$ 1,229,650
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	$ 1,525,104	$ 1,537,062
Leverage Ratio, Required to be Considered Well Capitalized, Ratio	5.00%	5.00%