Supplemental Guarantor/Non-Guarantor Financial Information Consolidating Balance Sheet (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 856,026	$ 940,103	$ 1,294,484	$ 1,757,699
Marketable securities	623,480	725,160
Accounts receivable, net	690,251	708,802
Intercompany accounts receivable	0	0
Inventories	1,579,465	1,354,247
Income taxes receivable	32,888	109,376
Prepayments and other	111,623	58,756
Total current assets	3,893,733	3,896,444
Properties, plants and equipment, net	3,560,265	3,394,596
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Intangibles and other assets	2,727,772	2,765,699
Total assets	10,181,770	10,056,739
Accounts payable	1,441,115	1,325,376
Intercompany accounts payable	0	0
Accrued liabilities	122,933	125,115
Deferred income tax liabilities	222,701	223,999
Total current liabilities	1,786,749	1,674,490
Long-term debt	1,039,396	997,519
Liability to HEP	0	0
Deferred income tax liabilities	659,666	616,842
Other long-term liabilities	135,111	158,490
Investment in HEP	0	0
Equity – HollyFrontier	5,974,157	5,999,620
Equity – noncontrolling interest	586,691	609,778
Total liabilities and equity	10,181,770	10,056,739
Parent Company [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	850,727	931,920	1,283,263	1,748,808
Marketable securities	623,480	725,160
Accounts receivable, net	9,752	6,095
Intercompany accounts receivable	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Income taxes receivable	32,888	109,376
Prepayments and other	9,920	21,843
Total current assets	1,526,767	1,794,394
Properties, plants and equipment, net	32,525	30,007
Investment in subsidiaries	6,707,737	5,722,025
Intangibles and other assets	23,823	23,034
Total assets	8,290,852	7,569,460
Accounts payable	15,748	16,704
Intercompany accounts payable	1,167,913	463,530
Accrued liabilities	51,334	43,254
Deferred income tax liabilities	222,701	223,999
Total current liabilities	1,457,696	747,487
Long-term debt	179,377	180,054
Liability to HEP	0	0
Deferred income tax liabilities	654,355	611,555
Other long-term liabilities	31,253	35,874
Investment in HEP	0	0
Equity – HollyFrontier	5,968,171	5,994,490
Equity – noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total liabilities and equity	8,290,852	7,569,460
Guarantor Restricted Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	3,474	1,817	0	3,652
Marketable securities	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	675,673	698,109
Intercompany accounts receivable	788,868	149,907
Inventories	1,577,672	1,352,656
Income taxes receivable	0	0
Prepayments and other	107,367	45,413
Total current assets	3,153,054	2,247,902
Properties, plants and equipment, net	2,774,100	2,633,739
Investment in subsidiaries	270,685	216,687
Intangibles and other assets	2,344,385	2,380,268
Total assets	8,542,224	7,478,596
Accounts payable	1,444,787	1,323,603
Intercompany accounts payable	0	0
Accrued liabilities	53,302	63,181
Deferred income tax liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	1,498,089	1,386,784
Long-term debt	33,603	34,835
Liability to HEP	236,305	245,536
Deferred income tax liabilities	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	66,490	89,416
Investment in HEP	0	0
Equity – HollyFrontier	6,707,737	5,722,025
Equity – noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total liabilities and equity	8,542,224	7,478,596
Non Guarantor Restricted Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	158	14	1	2
Marketable securities	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	3,358	8,075
Intercompany accounts receivable	379,045	313,623
Inventories	0	0
Income taxes receivable	0	0
Prepayments and other	0	0
Total current assets	382,561	321,712
Properties, plants and equipment, net	855	24
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Intangibles and other assets	25,000	25,000
Total assets	408,416	346,736
Accounts payable	0	383
Intercompany accounts payable	0	0
Accrued liabilities	1,161	795
Deferred income tax liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	1,161	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	136,570	128,871
Equity – HollyFrontier	270,685	216,687
Equity – noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total liabilities and equity	408,416	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	(1,167,913)	(463,530)
Inventories	0	0
Income taxes receivable	0	0
Prepayments and other	0	0
Total current assets	(1,167,913)	(463,530)
Properties, plants and equipment, net	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	(6,978,422)	(5,938,712)
Intangibles and other assets	(25,000)	(25,000)
Total assets	(8,171,335)	(6,427,242)
Accounts payable	0	0
Intercompany accounts payable	(1,167,913)	(463,530)
Accrued liabilities	0	0
Deferred income tax liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	(1,167,913)	(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	(6,978,422)	(5,938,712)
Equity – noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total liabilities and equity	(8,171,335)	(6,427,242)
Holly Frontier Corp. Before Consolidation Of HEP [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	854,359	933,751	1,283,264	1,752,462
Marketable securities	623,480	725,160
Accounts receivable, net	688,783	712,279
Intercompany accounts receivable	0	0
Inventories	1,577,672	1,352,656
Income taxes receivable	32,888	109,376
Prepayments and other	117,287	67,256
Total current assets	3,894,469	3,900,478
Properties, plants and equipment, net	2,807,480	2,663,770
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Intangibles and other assets	2,368,208	2,403,302
Total assets	9,070,157	8,967,550
Accounts payable	1,460,535	1,340,690
Intercompany accounts payable	0	0
Accrued liabilities	105,797	107,230
Deferred income tax liabilities	222,701	223,999
Total current liabilities	1,789,033	1,671,919
Long-term debt	187,980	189,889
Liability to HEP	236,305	245,536
Deferred income tax liabilities	654,355	611,555
Other long-term liabilities	97,743	125,290
Investment in HEP	136,570	128,871
Equity – HollyFrontier	5,968,171	5,994,490
Equity – noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total liabilities and equity	9,070,157	8,967,550
Non-Guarantor Non-Restricted Subsidiaries (HEP Segment) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	1,667	6,352	11,220	5,237
Marketable securities	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	35,972	34,736
Intercompany accounts receivable	0	0
Inventories	1,793	1,591
Income taxes receivable	0	0
Prepayments and other	2,626	2,283
Total current assets	42,058	44,962
Properties, plants and equipment, net	1,016,223	1,004,975
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Intangibles and other assets	360,499	363,970
Total assets	1,418,780	1,413,907
Accounts payable	15,084	22,898
Intercompany accounts payable	0	0
Accrued liabilities	25,426	28,668
Deferred income tax liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	40,510	51,566
Long-term debt	851,416	807,630
Liability to HEP	0	0
Deferred income tax liabilities	5,311	5,287
Other long-term liabilities	39,446	35,918
Investment in HEP	0	0
Equity – HollyFrontier	386,255	416,018
Equity – noncontrolling interest	95,842	97,488
Total liabilities and equity	1,418,780	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	(34,504)	(38,213)
Intercompany accounts receivable	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Income taxes receivable	0	0
Prepayments and other	(8,290)	(10,783)
Total current assets	(42,794)	(48,996)
Properties, plants and equipment, net	(263,438)	(274,149)
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Intangibles and other assets	(935)	(1,573)
Total assets	(307,167)	(324,718)
Accounts payable	(34,504)	(38,212)
Intercompany accounts payable	0	0
Accrued liabilities	(8,290)	(10,783)
Deferred income tax liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	(42,794)	(48,995)
Long-term debt	0	0
Liability to HEP	(236,305)	(245,536)
Deferred income tax liabilities	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	(2,078)	(2,718)
Investment in HEP	(136,570)	(128,871)
Equity – HollyFrontier	(380,269)	(410,888)
Equity – noncontrolling interest	490,849	512,290
Total liabilities and equity	$ (307,167)	$ (324,718)