Additional Financial Information Consolidating Statement of Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues	$ 2,018,724	$ 3,006,626
Cost of products sold	1,625,163	2,251,373
Lower of cost or market inventory valuation adjustment	(56,121)	(6,546)
Operating Costs	252,583	263,596
General and administrative	25,621	29,569
Depreciation and amortization	87,880	80,012
Total operating costs and expenses	1,935,126	2,618,004
Income (loss) from operations	83,598	388,622
Earnings (loss) of equity method investments	2,765	(7,807)
Interest income (expense)	(12,012)	(9,192)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	(8,718)	0
Gain (loss) on sale of assets	65	766
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	(17,900)	(16,233)
Income before income taxes	65,698	372,389
Income tax provision	22,308	129,728
Net income	43,390	242,661
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	22,137	15,785
Net income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	21,253	226,876
Comprehensive income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	20,842	215,354
Holly Frontier Corp. Before Consolidation of HEP [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues	1,999,697	2,989,498
Cost of products sold	1,703,068	2,322,881
Lower of cost or market inventory valuation adjustment	(56,121)	(6,546)
Operating Costs	230,017	236,003
General and administrative	22,530	26,279
Depreciation and amortization	75,421	69,258
Total operating costs and expenses	1,974,915	2,647,875
Income (loss) from operations	24,782	341,623
Earnings (loss) of equity method investments	25,797	11,901
Interest income (expense)	708	1,922
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	8,718
Gain (loss) on sale of assets	73	608
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	17,860	14,431
Income before income taxes	42,642	356,054
Income tax provision	22,212	129,627
Net income	20,430	226,427
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	(7)	(7)
Net income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	20,437	226,434
Comprehensive income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	20,026	214,912
Non-Guarantor Non-Restricted Subsidiaries (HEP Segment) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues	102,010	89,756
Cost of products sold	0	0
Lower of cost or market inventory valuation adjustment	0	0
Operating Costs	26,823	27,966
General and administrative	3,091	3,290
Depreciation and amortization	16,029	14,290
Total operating costs and expenses	45,943	45,546
Income (loss) from operations	56,067	44,210
Earnings (loss) of equity method investments	2,765	734
Interest income (expense)	(10,423)	(8,767)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	0
Gain (loss) on sale of assets	(8)	158
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	(7,666)	(7,875)
Income before income taxes	48,401	36,335
Income tax provision	96	101
Net income	48,305	36,234
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	4,927	4,027
Net income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	43,378	32,207
Comprehensive income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	43,200	31,912
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues	(82,983)	(72,628)
Cost of products sold	(77,905)	(71,508)
Lower of cost or market inventory valuation adjustment	0	0
Operating Costs	(4,257)	(373)
General and administrative	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	(3,570)	(3,536)
Total operating costs and expenses	(85,732)	(75,417)
Income (loss) from operations	2,749	2,789
Earnings (loss) of equity method investments	(25,797)	(20,442)
Interest income (expense)	(2,297)	(2,347)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	0
Gain (loss) on sale of assets	0	0
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	(28,094)	(22,789)
Income before income taxes	(25,345)	(20,000)
Income tax provision	0	0
Net income	(25,345)	(20,000)
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	17,217	11,765
Net income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	(42,562)	(31,765)
Comprehensive income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	$ (42,384)	$ (31,470)