Supplemental Guarantor/Non-Guarantor Financial Information Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash flows from operating activities	$ 569,940	$ 721,479
Additions to properties, plants and equipment	(267,100)	(205,987)
Purchases of marketable securities	(246,008)	(498,080)
Sales and maturities of marketable securities	327,310	543,604
Other, net	2,232	5,021
Net Advances to Parent	0	0
Net cash used for investing activities	(233,379)	(194,224)
Net borrowings under credit agreement – HEP	33,000	180,000
Redemption of Senior Notes - HEP		(156,188)
Redemption of senior notes - HFC	(155,156)
Proceeds from product financing arrangement	0	5,964
Purchase of treasury stock	(320,132)	(20,135)
Accelerated stock repurchase forward contract	(60,000)	0
Dividends	(125,192)	(323,088)
Payments to Noncontrolling Interests	(41,596)	(38,548)
Excess tax benefit from equity based compensation	0	3,778
Other, net	(2,111)	(839)
Net advances from subsidiaries	0	0
Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities	(671,187)	(349,056)
Increase (decrease) for the period	(334,626)	178,199
Beginning of period	567,985	940,103
End of period	233,359	1,118,302
Parent Company [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash flows from operating activities	(348,026)	(144,972)
Additions to properties, plants and equipment	(7,180)	(6,329)
Purchases of marketable securities	(246,008)	(498,080)
Sales and maturities of marketable securities	327,310	543,604
Other, net	0	0
Net Advances to Parent	0	0
Net cash used for investing activities	74,122	39,195
Net borrowings under credit agreement – HEP	0
Redemption of Senior Notes - HEP		$ 0
Redemption of senior notes - HFC	(155,156)
Proceeds from product financing arrangement
Purchase of treasury stock	(320,132)	$ (20,135)
Accelerated stock repurchase forward contract	(60,000)
Dividends	(125,192)	(323,088)
Payments to Noncontrolling Interests	0	0
Excess tax benefit from equity based compensation		3,778
Other, net	(113)	0
Net advances from subsidiaries	(592,322)	(621,534)
Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities	(68,271)	282,089
Increase (decrease) for the period	(342,175)	176,312
Beginning of period	565,080	931,920
End of period	222,905	1,108,232
Guarantor Restricted Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash flows from operating activities	803,368	773,845
Additions to properties, plants and equipment	(259,857)	(199,132)
Purchases of marketable securities	0	0
Sales and maturities of marketable securities	0	0
Other, net	1,846	5,021
Net Advances to Parent	(544,445)	(582,930)
Net cash used for investing activities	(802,456)	(777,041)
Net borrowings under credit agreement – HEP	0
Redemption of Senior Notes - HEP		0
Redemption of senior notes - HFC	0
Proceeds from product financing arrangement		5,964
Purchase of treasury stock	0	0
Accelerated stock repurchase forward contract	0
Dividends	0	0
Payments to Noncontrolling Interests	0	0
Excess tax benefit from equity based compensation		0
Other, net	(912)	(808)
Net advances from subsidiaries	0	0
Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities	(912)	5,156
Increase (decrease) for the period	0	1,960
Beginning of period	0	1,817
End of period	0	3,777
Non Guarantor Restricted Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash flows from operating activities	47,880	38,968
Additions to properties, plants and equipment	(63)	(526)
Purchases of marketable securities	0	0
Sales and maturities of marketable securities	0	0
Other, net	0	0
Net Advances to Parent	(47,877)	(38,604)
Net cash used for investing activities	(47,940)	(39,130)
Net borrowings under credit agreement – HEP	0
Redemption of Senior Notes - HEP		$ 0
Redemption of senior notes - HFC	0
Proceeds from product financing arrangement
Purchase of treasury stock	0	$ 0
Accelerated stock repurchase forward contract	0
Dividends	0	0
Payments to Noncontrolling Interests	0	0
Excess tax benefit from equity based compensation		0
Other, net	15	375
Net advances from subsidiaries	0	0
Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities	15	375
Increase (decrease) for the period	(45)	213
Beginning of period	75	14
End of period	30	227
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash flows from operating activities	0	0
Additions to properties, plants and equipment	0	0
Purchases of marketable securities	0	0
Sales and maturities of marketable securities	0	0
Other, net	0	0
Net Advances to Parent	592,322	621,534
Net cash used for investing activities	592,322	621,534
Net borrowings under credit agreement – HEP	0	0
Redemption of Senior Notes - HEP		$ 0
Redemption of senior notes - HFC	0
Proceeds from product financing arrangement
Purchase of treasury stock	0	$ 0
Accelerated stock repurchase forward contract	0
Dividends	0	0
Payments to Noncontrolling Interests	0	0
Excess tax benefit from equity based compensation		0
Other, net	0	0
Net advances from subsidiaries	(592,322)	(621,534)
Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities	(592,322)	(621,534)
Increase (decrease) for the period	0	0
Beginning of period	0	0
End of period	0	0
Holly Frontier Corp. Before Consolidation Of HEP [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash flows from operating activities	503,222	667,841
Additions to properties, plants and equipment	(267,100)	(205,987)
Purchases of marketable securities	(246,008)	(498,080)
Sales and maturities of marketable securities	327,310	543,604
Other, net	1,846	5,021
Net Advances to Parent	0	0
Net cash used for investing activities	(183,952)	(155,442)
Net borrowings under credit agreement – HEP	0
Redemption of Senior Notes - HEP		0
Redemption of senior notes - HFC	(155,156)
Proceeds from product financing arrangement		5,964
Purchase of treasury stock	(320,132)	(20,135)
Accelerated stock repurchase forward contract	(60,000)
Dividends	(125,192)	(323,088)
Payments to Noncontrolling Interests	0	0
Excess tax benefit from equity based compensation		3,778
Other, net	(1,010)	(433)
Net advances from subsidiaries	0	0
Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities	(661,490)	(333,914)
Increase (decrease) for the period	(342,220)	178,485
Beginning of period	565,155	933,751
End of period	222,935	1,112,236
Non-Guarantor Non-Restricted Subsidiaries (HEP Segment) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash flows from operating activities	110,611	92,667
Additions to properties, plants and equipment	0	0
Purchases of marketable securities	0	0
Sales and maturities of marketable securities	0	0
Other, net	386	0
Net Advances to Parent	0	0
Net cash used for investing activities	(49,427)	(38,782)
Net borrowings under credit agreement – HEP	33,000	180,000
Redemption of Senior Notes - HEP		(156,188)
Redemption of senior notes - HFC	0
Proceeds from product financing arrangement		0
Purchase of treasury stock	0	0
Accelerated stock repurchase forward contract	0
Dividends	0	0
Payments to Noncontrolling Interests	(85,489)	(77,577)
Excess tax benefit from equity based compensation		0
Other, net	(1,101)	(406)
Net advances from subsidiaries	0	0
Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities	(53,590)	(54,171)
Increase (decrease) for the period	7,594	(286)
Beginning of period	2,830	6,352
End of period	10,424	6,066
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash flows from operating activities	(43,893)	(39,029)
Additions to properties, plants and equipment	0	0
Purchases of marketable securities	0	0
Sales and maturities of marketable securities	0	0
Other, net		0
Net Advances to Parent	0	0
Net cash used for investing activities	0	0
Redemption of Senior Notes - HEP		0
Redemption of senior notes - HFC	0
Proceeds from product financing arrangement		0
Purchase of treasury stock	0	0
Accelerated stock repurchase forward contract	0
Dividends	0	0
Payments to Noncontrolling Interests	43,893	39,029
Excess tax benefit from equity based compensation		0
Other, net	0	0
Net advances from subsidiaries	0	0
Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities	43,893	39,029
Increase (decrease) for the period	0	0
Beginning of period	0	0
End of period	0	0
HEP [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Additions to properties, plants and equipment	(49,813)	(38,782)
Redemption of senior notes - HFC	0	(156,188)
Beginning of period	2,830
End of period	10,424
HEP [Member] | Parent Company [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Additions to properties, plants and equipment	0	0
Net borrowings under credit agreement – HEP		0
HEP [Member] | Guarantor Restricted Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Additions to properties, plants and equipment	0	0
Net borrowings under credit agreement – HEP		0
HEP [Member] | Non Guarantor Restricted Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Additions to properties, plants and equipment	0	0
Net borrowings under credit agreement – HEP		0
HEP [Member] | Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Additions to properties, plants and equipment	0
HEP [Member] | Holly Frontier Corp. Before Consolidation Of HEP [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Additions to properties, plants and equipment	0	0
Net borrowings under credit agreement – HEP		0
HEP [Member] | Non-Guarantor Non-Restricted Subsidiaries (HEP Segment) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Additions to properties, plants and equipment	(49,813)	(38,782)
HEP [Member] | Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Additions to properties, plants and equipment	0	0
Other, net	0
Net borrowings under credit agreement – HEP	$ 0	$ 0