Supplemental Guarantor/Non-Guarantor Financial Information Consolidating Statement of Income (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues	$ 5,327,122	$ 5,204,798	$ 15,333,759	$ 14,943,217
Cost of products sold	4,809,990	3,898,736	13,059,333	11,767,417
Operating expenses	256,318	233,859	798,959	698,212
General and administrative	28,937	28,787	92,135	88,421
Depreciation and amortization	82,127	65,112	224,381	178,162
Total operating costs and expenses	5,177,372	4,226,494	14,174,808	12,732,212
Income (loss) from operations	149,750	978,304	1,158,951	2,211,005
Earnings (loss) of equity method investments	159	852	(871)	2,455
Interest income (expense)	(12,472)	(18,884)	(51,277)	(78,000)
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt	0	0	(22,109)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Realized Gain (Loss)	0	0	0	326
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	(12,313)	(18,032)	(74,257)	(75,219)
Income before income taxes	137,437	960,272	1,084,694	2,135,786
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	48,528	349,622	386,665	775,746
Net income	88,909	610,650	698,029	1,360,040
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	6,619	10,277	25,089	24,472
Net income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	82,290	600,373	672,940	1,335,568
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent	85,258	532,277	717,540	1,195,174
Parent [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues	146	195	777	394
Cost of products sold	0	0	0	0
Operating expenses	0	0	0	0
General and administrative	25,995	26,723	80,368	81,147
Depreciation and amortization	1,496	4,665	3,822	6,644
Total operating costs and expenses	27,491	31,388	84,190	87,791
Income (loss) from operations	(27,345)	(31,193)	(83,413)	(87,397)
Earnings (loss) of equity method investments	158,437	987,230	1,178,587	2,230,920
Interest income (expense)	(782)	(6,747)	(15,459)	(34,194)
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt			(22,109)
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Realized Gain (Loss)				0
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	157,655	980,483	1,141,019	2,196,726
Income before income taxes	130,310	949,290	1,057,606	2,109,329
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	48,488	349,485	386,225	775,459
Net income	81,822	599,805	671,381	1,333,870
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	81,822	599,805	671,381	1,333,870
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent	84,790	531,709	715,981	1,193,476
Guarantor Restricted Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues	5,315,037	5,192,770	15,294,447	14,908,154
Cost of products sold	4,874,603	3,958,400	13,246,883	11,937,909
Operating expenses	234,987	212,890	730,284	636,506
General and administrative	422	627	2,827	1,266
Depreciation and amortization	65,195	51,083	182,858	143,582
Total operating costs and expenses	5,175,207	4,223,000	14,162,852	12,719,263
Income (loss) from operations	139,830	969,770	1,131,595	2,188,891
Earnings (loss) of equity method investments	16,207	15,002	40,413	34,899
Interest income (expense)	2,400	2,458	6,579	6,804
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt			0
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Realized Gain (Loss)				326
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	18,607	17,460	46,992	42,029
Income before income taxes	158,437	987,230	1,178,587	2,230,920
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	0	0	0	0
Net income	158,437	987,230	1,178,587	2,230,920
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	158,437	987,230	1,178,587	2,230,920
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent	163,317	875,768	1,220,890	1,993,918
Non Guarantor Restricted Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues	28	36	91	138
Cost of products sold	0	0	0	0
Operating expenses	0	0	0	0
General and administrative	105	37	193	83
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Total operating costs and expenses	105	37	193	83
Income (loss) from operations	(77)	(1)	(102)	55
Earnings (loss) of equity method investments	16,822	14,866	43,215	34,355
Interest income (expense)	138	162	409	536
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt			0
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Realized Gain (Loss)				0
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	16,960	15,028	43,624	34,891
Income before income taxes	16,883	15,027	43,522	34,946
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	0	0	0	0
Net income	16,883	15,027	43,522	34,946
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	16,883	15,027	43,522	34,946
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent	16,450	14,791	45,181	34,995
Eliminations From Consolidation Of Restricted Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues	0	0	0	0
Cost of products sold	0	0	0	0
Operating expenses	0	0	0	0
General and administrative	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Total operating costs and expenses	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) from operations	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) of equity method investments	(175,320)	(1,002,257)	(1,222,109)	(2,265,866)
Interest income (expense)	0	0	0	0
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt			0
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Realized Gain (Loss)				0
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	(175,320)	(1,002,257)	(1,222,109)	(2,265,866)
Income before income taxes	(175,320)	(1,002,257)	(1,222,109)	(2,265,866)
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	0	0	0	0
Net income	(175,320)	(1,002,257)	(1,222,109)	(2,265,866)
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	(175,320)	(1,002,257)	(1,222,109)	(2,265,866)
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent	(179,767)	(890,559)	(1,266,071)	(2,028,913)
Holly Frontier Corp. Before Consolidation Of HEP [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues	5,315,211	5,193,001	15,295,315	14,908,686
Cost of products sold	4,874,603	3,958,400	13,246,883	11,937,909
Operating expenses	234,987	212,890	730,284	636,506
General and administrative	26,522	27,387	83,388	82,496
Depreciation and amortization	66,691	55,748	186,680	150,226
Total operating costs and expenses	5,202,803	4,254,425	14,247,235	12,807,137
Income (loss) from operations	112,408	938,576	1,048,080	2,101,549
Earnings (loss) of equity method investments	16,146	14,841	40,106	34,308
Interest income (expense)	1,756	(4,127)	(8,471)	(26,854)
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt			(22,109)
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Realized Gain (Loss)				326
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	17,902	10,714	9,526	7,780
Income before income taxes	130,310	949,290	1,057,606	2,109,329
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	48,488	349,485	386,225	775,459
Net income	81,822	599,805	671,381	1,333,870
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	81,822	599,805	671,381	1,333,870
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent	84,790	531,709	715,981	1,193,476
Non-Guarantor Non-Restricted Subsidiaries (HEP Segment) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues	77,625	72,570	229,230	207,250
Cost of products sold	0	0	0	0
Operating expenses	21,687	21,323	69,726	61,724
General and administrative	2,415	1,400	8,747	5,925
Depreciation and amortization	19,042	12,971	48,410	38,683
Total operating costs and expenses	43,144	35,694	126,883	106,332
Income (loss) from operations	34,481	36,876	102,347	100,918
Earnings (loss) of equity method investments	835	877	2,238	2,502
Interest income (expense)	(11,812)	(12,472)	(35,818)	(44,306)
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt			0
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Realized Gain (Loss)				0
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	(10,977)	(11,595)	(33,580)	(41,804)
Income before income taxes	23,504	25,281	68,767	59,114
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	40	137	440	287
Net income	23,464	25,144	68,327	58,827
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	1,172	582	5,192	(658)
Net income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	22,292	24,562	63,135	59,485
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent	21,859	24,326	64,794	59,534
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues	(65,714)	(60,773)	(190,786)	(172,719)
Cost of products sold	(64,613)	(59,664)	(187,550)	(170,492)
Operating expenses	(356)	(354)	(1,051)	(18)
General and administrative	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	(3,606)	(3,607)	(10,709)	(10,747)
Total operating costs and expenses	(68,575)	(63,625)	(199,310)	(181,257)
Income (loss) from operations	2,861	2,852	8,524	8,538
Earnings (loss) of equity method investments	(16,822)	(14,866)	(43,215)	(34,355)
Interest income (expense)	(2,416)	(2,285)	(6,988)	(6,840)
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt			0
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Realized Gain (Loss)				0
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	(19,238)	(17,151)	(50,203)	(41,195)
Income before income taxes	(16,377)	(14,299)	(41,679)	(32,657)
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	0	0	0	0
Net income	(16,377)	(14,299)	(41,679)	(32,657)
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	5,447	9,695	19,897	25,130
Net income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	(21,824)	(23,994)	(61,576)	(57,787)
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent	$ (21,391)	$ (23,758)	$ (63,235)	$ (57,836)