Supplemental Guarantor/Non-Guarantor Financial Information Consolidating Statement of Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues	$ 3,585,823	$ 5,317,555	$ 10,294,361	$ 15,481,208
Cost of products sold	2,653,859	4,625,893	7,792,707	13,439,359
Lower of cost or market inventory valuation adjustment	225,451	0	83,425	0
Operating Costs	265,398	280,957	775,159	826,577
General and administrative	30,746	27,149	86,432	82,437
Depreciation and amortization	87,764	80,945	255,579	262,883
Total operating costs and expenses	3,263,218	5,014,944	8,993,302	14,611,256
Income (loss) from operations	322,605	302,611	1,301,059	869,952
Earnings (loss) of equity method investments	1,269	(1,247)	(5,907)	(2,956)
Interest income (expense)	(10,429)	(10,034)	(29,410)	(29,928)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	0	0	(1,370)	(7,677)
Gain (loss) on sale of assets	7,228	(556)	8,867	(556)
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	(1,932)	(11,837)	(27,820)	(41,117)
Income before income taxes	320,673	290,774	1,273,239	828,835
Income tax provision	110,066	103,216	446,784	292,162
Net income	210,607	187,558	826,455	536,673
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	14,285	12,552	42,433	33,177
Net income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	196,322	175,006	784,022	503,496
Comprehensive income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	190,799	169,577	763,295	572,685
Parent Company [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues	107	103	381	383
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	27,084	24,904	75,716	70,354
Depreciation and amortization	2,861	2,055	7,769	5,855
Total operating costs and expenses	29,945	26,959	83,485	76,209
Income (loss) from operations	(29,838)	(26,856)	(83,104)	(75,826)
Earnings (loss) of equity method investments	336,756	305,736	1,314,982	871,883
Interest income (expense)	(998)	(1,227)	(1,835)	(2,024)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt			(1,370)	0
Gain (loss) on sale of assets	16	0	736	0
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	335,774	304,509	1,312,513	869,859
Income before income taxes	305,936	277,653	1,229,409	794,033
Income tax provision	109,997	103,174	446,678	292,017
Net income	195,939	174,479	782,731	502,016
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	195,939	174,479	782,731	502,016
Comprehensive income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	190,414	169,050	762,002	571,205
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues	3,571,188	5,303,131	10,247,056	15,440,531
Cost of products sold	2,726,848	4,692,587	8,004,718	13,640,897
Lower of cost or market inventory valuation adjustment	225,451		83,425
Operating Costs	239,653	255,871	696,446	754,798
General and administrative	680	530	1,666	4,038
Depreciation and amortization	72,584	66,832	213,628	221,999
Total operating costs and expenses	3,265,216	5,015,820	8,999,883	14,621,732
Income (loss) from operations	305,972	287,311	1,247,173	818,799
Earnings (loss) of equity method investments	22,006	17,021	54,375	47,589
Interest income (expense)	1,740	1,962	5,707	6,051
Loss on early extinguishment of debt			0	0
Gain (loss) on sale of assets	7,036	(556)	7,725	(556)
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	30,782	18,427	67,807	53,084
Income before income taxes	336,754	305,738	1,314,980	871,883
Income tax provision	0	0	0	0
Net income	336,754	305,738	1,314,980	871,883
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	336,754	305,738	1,314,980	871,883
Comprehensive income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	327,419	296,622	1,280,517	984,562
Non Guarantor Restricted Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues	1	0	1	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	14	36	96	112
Depreciation and amortization	8	0	24	0
Total operating costs and expenses	22	36	120	112
Income (loss) from operations	(21)	(36)	(119)	823
Earnings (loss) of equity method investments	21,799	19,040	62,416	51,455
Interest income (expense)	219	144	593	417
Loss on early extinguishment of debt			0	0
Gain (loss) on sale of assets	0	0	0	0
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	22,018	19,184	63,009	51,872
Income before income taxes	21,997	19,148	62,890	52,695
Income tax provision	0	0	0	0
Net income	21,997	19,148	62,890	52,695
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	(9)	0	(26)	0
Net income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	22,006	19,148	62,916	52,695
Comprehensive income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	21,903	19,584	62,606	52,875
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	(91)	0	(91)	0
Lower of cost or market inventory valuation adjustment	0		0
Operating Costs	796	0	796	0
General and administrative	(705)	(587)	(705)	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	587	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	(358,762)	(324,884)	(1,377,898)	(924,578)
Interest income (expense)	0	0	0	0
Loss on early extinguishment of debt			0	0
Gain (loss) on sale of assets	0	0	0	0
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	(358,762)	(324,884)	(1,377,898)	(924,578)
Income before income taxes	(358,762)	(324,884)	(1,377,898)	(924,578)
Income tax provision	0	0	0	0
Net income	(358,762)	(324,884)	(1,377,898)	(924,578)
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	(358,762)	(324,884)	(1,377,898)	(924,578)
Comprehensive income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	(349,322)	(316,206)	(1,343,123)	(1,037,437)
Holly Frontier Corp. Before Consolidation of HEP [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues	3,571,296	5,303,234	10,247,438	15,441,849
Cost of products sold	2,726,757	4,692,587	8,004,627	13,640,897
Lower of cost or market inventory valuation adjustment	225,451		83,425
Operating Costs	240,449	255,871	697,242	754,798
General and administrative	27,073	24,883	76,773	74,504
Depreciation and amortization	75,453	69,474	221,421	227,854
Total operating costs and expenses	3,295,183	5,042,815	9,083,488	14,698,053
Income (loss) from operations	276,113	260,419	1,163,950	743,796
Earnings (loss) of equity method investments	21,799	16,913	53,875	46,349
Interest income (expense)	961	879	4,465	4,444
Loss on early extinguishment of debt			(1,370)	0
Gain (loss) on sale of assets	7,052	(556)	8,461	(556)
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	29,812	17,236	65,431	50,237
Income before income taxes	305,925	277,655	1,229,381	794,033
Income tax provision	109,997	103,174	446,678	292,017
Net income	195,928	174,481	782,703	502,016
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	(9)	0	(26)	0
Net income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	195,937	174,481	782,729	502,016
Comprehensive income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	190,414	169,050	762,002	571,205
Non-Guarantor Non-Restricted Subsidiaries (HEP Segment) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues	88,389	82,141	261,624	244,177
Cost of products sold	0	0	0	0
Lower of cost or market inventory valuation adjustment	0		0
Operating Costs	25,095	25,456	78,350	72,835
General and administrative	3,673	2,266	9,659	7,933
Depreciation and amortization	15,919	15,078	44,869	45,739
Total operating costs and expenses	44,687	42,800	132,878	126,507
Income (loss) from operations	43,702	39,341	128,746	117,670
Earnings (loss) of equity method investments	1,269	880	2,634	2,150
Interest income (expense)	(9,106)	(8,585)	(26,926)	(27,365)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt			0	(7,677)
Gain (loss) on sale of assets	176	0	406	0
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	(7,661)	(7,705)	(23,886)	(32,892)
Income before income taxes	36,041	31,636	104,860	84,778
Income tax provision	69	42	106	145
Net income	35,972	31,594	104,754	84,633
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	831	1,509	6,601	6,562
Net income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	35,141	30,085	98,153	78,071
Comprehensive income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	35,038	30,520	97,843	78,250
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues	(73,862)	(67,820)	(214,701)	(204,818)
Cost of products sold	(72,898)	(66,694)	(211,920)	(201,538)
Lower of cost or market inventory valuation adjustment	0		0
Operating Costs	(146)	(370)	(433)	(1,056)
General and administrative	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	(3,608)	(3,607)	(10,711)	(10,710)
Total operating costs and expenses	(76,652)	(70,671)	(223,064)	(213,304)
Income (loss) from operations	2,790	2,851	8,363	8,486
Earnings (loss) of equity method investments	(21,799)	(19,040)	(62,416)	(51,455)
Interest income (expense)	(2,284)	(2,328)	(6,949)	(7,007)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt			0	0
Gain (loss) on sale of assets	0	0	0	0
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	(24,083)	(21,368)	(69,365)	(58,462)
Income before income taxes	(21,293)	(18,517)	(61,002)	(49,976)
Income tax provision	0	0	0	0
Net income	(21,293)	(18,517)	(61,002)	(49,976)
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	13,463	11,043	35,858	26,615
Net income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	(34,756)	(29,560)	(96,860)	(76,591)
Comprehensive income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	$ (34,653)	$ (29,993)	$ (96,550)	$ (76,770)