Supplemental Guarantor/Non-Guarantor Financial Information Consolidating Statement of Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues	$ 3,701,912	$ 5,372,600	$ 6,708,538	$ 10,163,653
Cost of products sold	2,887,475	4,674,846	5,138,848	8,813,466
Lower of cost or market inventory valuation adjustment	(135,480)	0	(142,026)	0
Operating Costs	246,165	271,654	509,761	545,620
General and administrative	26,117	28,365	55,686	55,288
Depreciation and amortization	87,803	101,390	167,815	181,938
Total operating costs and expenses	3,112,080	5,076,255	5,730,084	9,596,312
Income (loss) from operations	589,832	296,345	978,454	567,341
Earnings (loss) of equity method investments	631	(908)	(7,176)	(1,709)
Interest income (expense)	(9,791)	(8,952)	(18,983)	(19,894)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	(1,368)	0	(1,368)	(7,677)
Gain on sale of assets	873	0	1,639	0
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	(9,655)	(9,860)	(25,888)	(29,280)
Income (Loss) before Income Taxes	580,177	286,485	952,566	538,061
Income tax provision	206,990	101,332	336,718	188,946
Net income	373,187	185,153	615,848	349,115
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	12,363	8,724	28,148	20,625
Net income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	360,824	176,429	587,700	328,490
Comprehensive income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	357,142	197,805	572,496	403,108
Parent Company [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues	168	179	274	280
Cost of products sold	0	0	0	0
Lower of cost or market inventory valuation adjustment	0		0
Operating Costs	0	0	0	0
General and administrative	22,808	24,343	48,632	45,450
Depreciation and amortization	2,582	2,010	4,908	3,800
Total operating costs and expenses	25,390	26,353	53,540	49,250
Income (loss) from operations	(25,222)	(26,174)	(53,266)	(48,970)
Earnings (loss) of equity method investments	593,825	303,788	978,226	566,147
Interest income (expense)	(537)	(373)	(839)	(797)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	(1,368)		(1,368)	0
Gain on sale of assets	714		720
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	592,634	303,415	976,739	565,350
Income (Loss) before Income Taxes	567,412	277,241	923,473	516,380
Income tax provision	207,054	101,304	336,681	188,843
Net income	360,358	175,937	586,792	327,537
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	360,358	175,937	586,792	327,537
Comprehensive income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	356,676	197,313	571,588	402,155
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues	3,686,476	5,362,277	6,675,868	10,137,400
Cost of products sold	2,954,989	4,738,586	5,277,870	8,948,308
Lower of cost or market inventory valuation adjustment	(135,480)		(142,026)
Operating Costs	220,790	247,451	456,793	498,927
General and administrative	571	1,469	986	4,095
Depreciation and amortization	74,120	87,473	141,044	154,580
Total operating costs and expenses	3,114,990	5,074,979	5,734,667	9,605,910
Income (loss) from operations	571,486	287,298	941,201	531,490
Earnings (loss) of equity method investments	20,334	14,546	32,369	30,568
Interest income (expense)	1,918	1,944	3,967	4,089
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	0		0	0
Gain on sale of assets	87		689
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	22,339	16,490	37,025	34,657
Income (Loss) before Income Taxes	593,825	303,788	978,226	566,147
Income tax provision	0	0	0	0
Net income	593,825	303,788	978,226	566,147
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	593,825	303,788	978,226	566,147
Comprehensive income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	588,016	338,556	953,098	687,940
Non Guarantor Restricted Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues	0	(36)	0	935
Cost of products sold	0	0	0	0
Lower of cost or market inventory valuation adjustment	0		0
Operating Costs	0	0	0	0
General and administrative	42	37	82	76
Depreciation and amortization	8	0	16	0
Total operating costs and expenses	50	37	98	76
Income (loss) from operations	(50)	(73)	(98)	859
Earnings (loss) of equity method investments	20,175	16,132	40,617	32,415
Interest income (expense)	199	143	374	273
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	0		0	0
Gain on sale of assets	0		0
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	20,374	16,275	40,991	32,688
Income (Loss) before Income Taxes	20,324	16,202	40,893	33,547
Income tax provision	0	0	0	0
Net income	20,324	16,202	40,893	33,547
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	(10)	0	(17)	0
Net income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	20,334	16,202	40,910	33,547
Comprehensive income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	20,422	15,909	40,703	33,291
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
Lower of cost or market inventory valuation adjustment	0		0
Operating Costs	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	(614,159)	(319,990)	(1,019,136)	(599,694)
Interest income (expense)	0	0	0	0
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	0		0	0
Gain on sale of assets	0		0
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	(614,159)	(319,990)	(1,019,136)	(599,694)
Income (Loss) before Income Taxes	(614,159)	(319,990)	(1,019,136)	(599,694)
Income tax provision	0	0	0	0
Net income	(614,159)	(319,990)	(1,019,136)	(599,694)
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	(614,159)	(319,990)	(1,019,136)	(599,694)
Comprehensive income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	(608,438)	(354,465)	(993,801)	(721,231)
Holly Frontier Corp. Before Consolidation Of HEP [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues	3,686,644	5,362,420	6,676,142	10,138,615
Cost of products sold	2,954,989	4,738,586	5,277,870	8,948,308
Lower of cost or market inventory valuation adjustment	(135,480)		(142,026)
Operating Costs	220,790	247,451	456,793	498,927
General and administrative	23,421	25,849	49,700	49,621
Depreciation and amortization	76,710	89,483	145,968	158,380
Total operating costs and expenses	3,140,430	5,101,369	5,788,305	9,655,236
Income (loss) from operations	546,214	261,051	887,837	483,379
Earnings (loss) of equity method investments	20,175	14,476	32,076	29,436
Interest income (expense)	1,580	1,714	3,502	3,565
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	(1,368)		(1,368)	0
Gain on sale of assets	801		1,409
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	21,188	16,190	35,619	33,001
Income (Loss) before Income Taxes	567,402	277,241	923,456	516,380
Income tax provision	207,054	101,304	336,681	188,843
Net income	360,348	175,937	586,775	327,537
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	(10)	0	(17)	0
Net income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	360,358	175,937	586,792	327,537
Comprehensive income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	356,676	197,313	571,588	402,155
Non-Guarantor Non-Restricted Subsidiaries (HEP Segment) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues	83,479	75,024	173,235	162,036
Cost of products sold	0	0	0	0
Lower of cost or market inventory valuation adjustment	0		0
Operating Costs	25,289	24,567	53,255	47,379
General and administrative	2,696	2,516	5,986	5,667
Depreciation and amortization	14,660	15,477	28,950	30,661
Total operating costs and expenses	42,645	42,560	88,191	83,707
Income (loss) from operations	40,834	32,464	85,044	78,329
Earnings (loss) of equity method investments	631	748	1,365	1,270
Interest income (expense)	(9,053)	(8,329)	(17,820)	(18,780)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	0		0	(7,677)
Gain on sale of assets	72		230
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	(8,350)	(7,581)	(16,225)	(25,187)
Income (Loss) before Income Taxes	32,484	24,883	68,819	53,142
Income tax provision	(64)	28	37	103
Net income	32,548	24,855	68,782	53,039
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	1,743	1,416	5,770	5,053
Net income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	30,805	23,439	63,012	47,986
Comprehensive income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	30,893	23,145	62,805	47,730
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues	(68,211)	(64,844)	(140,839)	(136,998)
Cost of products sold	(67,514)	(63,740)	(139,022)	(134,842)
Lower of cost or market inventory valuation adjustment	0		0
Operating Costs	86	(364)	(287)	(686)
General and administrative	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	(3,567)	(3,570)	(7,103)	(7,103)
Total operating costs and expenses	(70,995)	(67,674)	(146,412)	(142,631)
Income (loss) from operations	2,784	2,830	5,573	5,633
Earnings (loss) of equity method investments	(20,175)	(16,132)	(40,617)	(32,415)
Interest income (expense)	(2,318)	(2,337)	(4,665)	(4,679)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	0		0	0
Gain on sale of assets	0		0
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	(22,493)	(18,469)	(45,282)	(37,094)
Income (Loss) before Income Taxes	(19,709)	(15,639)	(39,709)	(31,461)
Income tax provision	0	0	0	0
Net income	(19,709)	(15,639)	(39,709)	(31,461)
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	10,630	7,308	22,395	15,572
Net income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	(30,339)	(22,947)	(62,104)	(47,033)
Comprehensive income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	$ (30,427)	$ (22,653)	$ (61,897)	$ (46,777)