Supplemental Financial Information (Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash flows from operating activities (1)	$ 979,626	$ 758,596	$ 869,174
Additions to properties, plants and equipment	(581,639)	(455,128)	(368,514)
Distribution from HEP	0
Proceeds from Sale of Other Assets	19,264	16,633	7,802
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	0	0	11,301
Payments to Acquire Interest in Joint Venture	(55,032)
Purchases of marketable securities	(509,338)	(1,025,602)	(935,512)
Sales and maturities of marketable securities	839,513	1,276,447	846,143
Other, net	0	5,021	(8,740)
Net cash provided by (used for) investing activities	(381,748)	(292,322)	(526,735)
Proceeds from (Repayments of) Lines of Credit		208,000
Redemption of senior notes	(155,156)	0	(300,973)
Proceeds from sale of HEP common units	0	0	73,444
Proceeds from common unit offerings – HEP			73,444
Principal tender on senior notes – HEP	(155,156)	(156,188)
Purchase of treasury stock	(742,823)	(158,847)	(225,023)
Contribution from General Partner	0	0	0
Dividends	(246,908)	(647,197)	(645,920)
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Noncontrolling Interest		(78,202)	(71,201)
Excess tax benefit from equity-based compensation	0	2,040	2,562
Other, net	(12,175)	(7,998)	(8,368)
Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities	(1,099,330)	(838,392)	(1,160,035)
Increase (decrease) for the period	(501,452)	(372,118)	(817,596)
Beginning of period	567,985	940,103	1,757,699
End of period	66,533	567,985	940,103
HollyFrontier Corp. Before Consolidation of HEP
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash flows from operating activities (1)	836,858	652,186	757,204
Additions to properties, plants and equipment	(581,639)	(455,128)	(368,514)
Distribution from HEP	62,000
Proceeds from Sale of Other Assets	17,985	16,633	5,071
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired			11,301
Payments to Acquire Interest in Joint Venture	0
Purchases of marketable securities	(509,338)	(1,025,602)	(935,512)
Sales and maturities of marketable securities	839,513	1,276,447	846,143
Other, net		5,021	(8,740)
Net cash provided by (used for) investing activities	(233,479)	(182,629)	(472,853)
Redemption of senior notes			(300,973)
Proceeds from sale of HEP common units			73,444
Proceeds from common unit offerings – HEP			0
Principal tender on senior notes – HEP	(155,156)	0
Purchase of treasury stock	(742,823)	(158,847)	(225,023)
Contribution from General Partner	(27,623)	(29,734)	(6,011)
Dividends	(246,908)	(647,197)	(645,920)
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Noncontrolling Interest	0	0	0
Excess tax benefit from equity-based compensation		2,040	2,562
Other, net	(6,504)	(4,415)	(1,141)
Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities	(1,117,014)	(838,153)	(1,103,062)
Increase (decrease) for the period	(513,635)	(368,596)	(818,711)
Beginning of period	565,155	933,751	1,752,462
End of period	51,520	565,155	933,751
HEP Subsidiary
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash flows from operating activities (1)	(233,188)	(186,903)	(183,380)
Additions to properties, plants and equipment	0	0	0
Distribution from HEP	(62,000)
Proceeds from Sale of Other Assets	1,279	0	2,731
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired			0
Payments to Acquire Interest in Joint Venture	(55,032)
Purchases of marketable securities	0	0	0
Sales and maturities of marketable securities	0	0	0
Other, net		0	0
Net cash provided by (used for) investing activities	(148,269)	109,693	53,882
Proceeds from (Repayments of) Lines of Credit	141,000	208,000	(58,000)
Redemption of senior notes			0
Proceeds from sale of HEP common units			0
Proceeds from common unit offerings – HEP			73,444
Principal tender on senior notes – HEP	0	(156,188)
Purchase of treasury stock	0	0	0
Contribution from General Partner	27,623	29,734	6,011
Dividends	0	0	0
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Noncontrolling Interest	(173,688)	(158,695)	(142,611)
Excess tax benefit from equity-based compensation		0	0
Other, net	(5,671)	(3,583)	(7,227)
Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities	(72,736)	(80,732)	(128,383)
Increase (decrease) for the period	12,183	(3,522)	1,115
Beginning of period	2,830	6,352	5,237
End of period	15,013	2,830	6,352
Consolidations and Eliminations
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash flows from operating activities (1)	(90,420)	(80,493)	(71,410)
Additions to properties, plants and equipment	0	0	0
Distribution from HEP	0
Proceeds from Sale of Other Assets		0	0
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired			0
Payments to Acquire Interest in Joint Venture	0
Purchases of marketable securities	0	0	0
Sales and maturities of marketable securities	0	0	0
Other, net		0	0
Net cash provided by (used for) investing activities	0	0	0
Redemption of senior notes			0
Proceeds from sale of HEP common units			0
Proceeds from common unit offerings – HEP			0
Principal tender on senior notes – HEP	0	0
Purchase of treasury stock	0	0	0
Contribution from General Partner	0	0	0
Dividends	0	0	0
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Noncontrolling Interest	90,420	80,493	71,410
Excess tax benefit from equity-based compensation		0	0
Other, net	0	0	0
Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities	90,420	80,493	71,410
Increase (decrease) for the period	0	0	0
Beginning of period	0	0	0
End of period	0	0	0
HEP
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Additions to properties, plants and equipment	(94,516)	(109,693)	(56,613)
Distribution from HEP	62,000
Payments to Acquire Interest in Joint Venture	(55,032)	0	0
Proceeds from (Repayments of) Lines of Credit	141,000		(58,000)
Proceeds from common unit offerings – HEP	0	0	73,444
Principal tender on senior notes – HEP	0	156,188	0
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Noncontrolling Interest	(83,268)
Beginning of period	2,830
End of period	15,013	2,830
HEP | HollyFrontier Corp. Before Consolidation of HEP
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Additions to properties, plants and equipment	0	0	0
Proceeds from (Repayments of) Lines of Credit	0	0	0
HEP | HEP Subsidiary
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Additions to properties, plants and equipment	(94,516)	(109,693)	(56,613)
HEP | Consolidations and Eliminations
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Additions to properties, plants and equipment	0	0	0
Proceeds from Sale of Other Assets	0
Proceeds from (Repayments of) Lines of Credit	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0