Supplemental Guarantor/Non-Guarantor Financial Information Consolidating Balance Sheet (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 1,074,635	$ 940,103	$ 1,872,442	$ 1,757,699	$ 1,872,442
Marketable securities	709,468	725,160
Accounts receivable, net	688,338	708,802
Intercompany accounts receivable	0	0
Inventories	1,590,292	1,354,247
Income taxes receivable	12,431	109,376
Prepayments and other	110,345	58,756
Total current assets	4,185,509	3,896,444
Properties, plants and equipment, net	3,442,299	3,394,596
Marketable securities (long-term)	6,050	0
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Intangibles and other assets	2,746,700	2,765,699
Total assets	10,380,558	10,056,739
Accounts payable	1,570,973	1,325,376
Intercompany accounts payable	0	0
Accrued liabilities	121,003	125,115
Deferred income tax liabilities	224,534	223,999
Total current liabilities	1,916,510	1,674,490
Long-term debt	1,023,057	997,519
Liability to HEP	0	0
Deferred income tax liabilities	644,333	616,842
Other long-term liabilities	148,157	158,490
Investment in HEP	0	0
Equity – HollyFrontier	6,045,086	5,999,620
Equity – noncontrolling interest	603,415	609,778
Total liabilities and equity	10,380,558	10,056,739
Parent [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	1,067,578	931,920	1,854,247	1,748,808
Marketable securities	709,468	725,160
Accounts receivable, net	5,855	6,095
Intercompany accounts receivable	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Income taxes receivable	12,431	109,376
Prepayments and other	16,940	21,843
Total current assets	1,812,272	1,794,394
Properties, plants and equipment, net	31,381	30,007
Marketable securities (long-term)	6,050
Investment in subsidiaries	6,071,959	5,722,025
Intangibles and other assets	24,432	23,034
Total assets	7,946,094	7,569,460
Accounts payable	4,479	16,704
Intercompany accounts payable	783,715	463,530
Accrued liabilities	38,164	43,254
Deferred income tax liabilities	224,534	223,999
Total current liabilities	1,050,892	747,487
Long-term debt	179,831	180,054
Liability to HEP	0	0
Deferred income tax liabilities	639,021	611,555
Other long-term liabilities	36,406	35,874
Investment in HEP	0	0
Equity – HollyFrontier	6,039,944	5,994,490
Equity – noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total liabilities and equity	7,946,094	7,569,460
Guarantor Restricted Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	2,055	1,817	0	3,652
Marketable securities	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	676,984	698,109
Intercompany accounts receivable	446,024	149,907
Inventories	1,588,698	1,352,656
Income taxes receivable	0	0
Prepayments and other	95,930	45,413
Total current assets	2,809,691	2,247,902
Properties, plants and equipment, net	2,676,401	2,633,739
Marketable securities (long-term)	0
Investment in subsidiaries	234,594	216,687
Intangibles and other assets	2,360,973	2,380,268
Total assets	8,081,659	7,478,596
Accounts payable	1,584,007	1,323,603
Intercompany accounts payable	0	0
Accrued liabilities	71,934	63,181
Deferred income tax liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	1,655,941	1,386,784
Long-term debt	34,436	34,835
Liability to HEP	242,463	245,536
Deferred income tax liabilities	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	76,860	89,416
Investment in HEP	0	0
Equity – HollyFrontier	6,071,959	5,722,025
Equity – noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total liabilities and equity	8,081,659	7,478,596
Non Guarantor Restricted Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	123	14	2	2
Marketable securities	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	4,724	8,075
Intercompany accounts receivable	337,691	313,623
Inventories	0	0
Income taxes receivable	0	0
Prepayments and other	0	0
Total current assets	342,538	321,712
Properties, plants and equipment, net	56	24
Marketable securities (long-term)	0
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Intangibles and other assets	25,000	25,000
Total assets	367,594	346,736
Accounts payable	384	383
Intercompany accounts payable	0	0
Accrued liabilities	1,228	795
Deferred income tax liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	1,612	1,178
Long-term debt	0	0
Liability to HEP	0	0
Deferred income tax liabilities	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Investment in HEP	131,388	128,871
Equity – HollyFrontier	234,594	216,687
Equity – noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total liabilities and equity	367,594	346,736
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Marketable securities	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Intercompany accounts receivable	(783,715)	(463,530)
Inventories	0	0
Income taxes receivable	0	0
Prepayments and other	0	0
Total current assets	(783,715)	(463,530)
Properties, plants and equipment, net	0	0
Marketable securities (long-term)	0
Investment in subsidiaries	(6,306,553)	(5,938,712)
Intangibles and other assets	(25,000)	(25,000)
Total assets	(7,115,268)	(6,427,242)
Accounts payable	0	0
Intercompany accounts payable	(783,715)	(463,530)
Accrued liabilities	0	0
Deferred income tax liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	(783,715)	(463,530)
Long-term debt	(25,000)	(25,000)
Liability to HEP	0	0
Deferred income tax liabilities	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Investment in HEP	0	0
Equity – HollyFrontier	(6,306,553)	(5,938,712)
Equity – noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total liabilities and equity	(7,115,268)	(6,427,242)
Holly Frontier Corp. Before Consolidation Of HEP [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	1,069,756	933,751	1,854,249	1,752,462
Marketable securities	709,468	725,160
Accounts receivable, net	687,563	712,279
Intercompany accounts receivable	0	0
Inventories	1,588,698	1,352,656
Income taxes receivable	12,431	109,376
Prepayments and other	112,870	67,256
Total current assets	4,180,786	3,900,478
Properties, plants and equipment, net	2,707,838	2,663,770
Marketable securities (long-term)	6,050
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Intangibles and other assets	2,385,405	2,403,302
Total assets	9,280,079	8,967,550
Accounts payable	1,588,870	1,340,690
Intercompany accounts payable	0	0
Accrued liabilities	111,326	107,230
Deferred income tax liabilities	224,534	223,999
Total current liabilities	1,924,730	1,671,919
Long-term debt	189,267	189,889
Liability to HEP	242,463	245,536
Deferred income tax liabilities	639,021	611,555
Other long-term liabilities	113,266	125,290
Investment in HEP	131,388	128,871
Equity – HollyFrontier	6,039,944	5,994,490
Equity – noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total liabilities and equity	9,280,079	8,967,550
Non-Guarantor Non-Restricted Subsidiaries (HEP Segment) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	4,879	6,352	18,193	5,237
Marketable securities	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	34,425	34,736
Intercompany accounts receivable	0	0
Inventories	1,594	1,591
Income taxes receivable	0	0
Prepayments and other	1,905	2,283
Total current assets	42,803	44,962
Properties, plants and equipment, net	1,005,077	1,004,975
Marketable securities (long-term)	0
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Intangibles and other assets	362,655	363,970
Total assets	1,410,535	1,413,907
Accounts payable	15,753	22,898
Intercompany accounts payable	0	0
Accrued liabilities	14,107	28,668
Deferred income tax liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	29,860	51,566
Long-term debt	833,790	807,630
Liability to HEP	0	0
Deferred income tax liabilities	5,312	5,287
Other long-term liabilities	37,395	35,918
Investment in HEP	0	0
Equity – HollyFrontier	405,427	416,018
Equity – noncontrolling interest	98,751	97,488
Total liabilities and equity	1,410,535	1,413,907
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Marketable securities	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	(33,650)	(38,213)
Intercompany accounts receivable	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Income taxes receivable	0	0
Prepayments and other	(4,430)	(10,783)
Total current assets	(38,080)	(48,996)
Properties, plants and equipment, net	(270,616)	(274,149)
Marketable securities (long-term)	0
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Intangibles and other assets	(1,360)	(1,573)
Total assets	(310,056)	(324,718)
Accounts payable	(33,650)	(38,212)
Intercompany accounts payable	0	0
Accrued liabilities	(4,430)	(10,783)
Deferred income tax liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	(38,080)	(48,995)
Long-term debt	0	0
Liability to HEP	(242,463)	(245,536)
Deferred income tax liabilities	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	(2,504)	(2,718)
Investment in HEP	(131,388)	(128,871)
Equity – HollyFrontier	(400,285)	(410,888)
Equity – noncontrolling interest	504,664	512,290
Total liabilities and equity	$ (310,056)	$ (324,718)