Additional Financial Information Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash flows from operating activities			$ 310,326,000	$ 569,940,000
Additions to properties, plants and equipment			(257,378,000)	(247,070,000)
Purchase of equity method investment - HEP			(42,500,000)
Proceeds from sale of assets			408,000	2,232,000
Purchases of marketable securities			(86,798,000)	(246,008,000)
Sales and maturities of marketable securities			149,599,000	327,310,000
Net cash used for investing activities			(269,336,000)	(233,379,000)
Net borrowings under credit agreement			74,000,000	33,000,000
Net proceeds from Issuance of senior notes			246,690,000	0
Net proceeds from issuance of term loan			350,000,000	0
Proceeds from issuance of common units - HEP			13,690,000	0
Redemption of senior notes			0	155,156,000
Purchase of treasury stock			(133,430,000)	(320,132,000)
Accelerated Share Repurchase Program, Adjustment				(60,000,000)
Dividends			(116,795,000)	(125,192,000)
Distributions to Noncontrolling Interests			(43,840,000)	(41,596,000)
Repayment of financing obligation	$ (39,500,000)		(39,500,000)
Contribution from general partner			0	0
Other, net			(6,348,000)	(2,111,000)
Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities			344,467,000	(671,187,000)
Increase (decrease) for the period			385,457,000	(334,626,000)
Beginning of period		$ 66,533,000	66,533,000	567,985,000
End of period	451,990,000		451,990,000	233,359,000
Holly Frontier Corp. Before Consolidation of HEP [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash flows from operating activities			256,019,000	502,802,000
Additions to properties, plants and equipment			(257,378,000)	(247,070,000)
Purchase of equity method investment - HEP			0
Proceeds from sale of assets			390,000	1,846,000
Purchases of marketable securities			(86,798,000)	(246,008,000)
Sales and maturities of marketable securities			149,599,000	327,310,000
Net cash used for investing activities			(194,187,000)	(163,922,000)
Net borrowings under credit agreement			0
Net proceeds from Issuance of senior notes			246,690,000
Net proceeds from issuance of term loan			350,000,000
Proceeds from issuance of common units - HEP			0
Redemption of senior notes				(155,156,000)
Purchase of treasury stock			(133,430,000)	(320,132,000)
Accelerated Share Repurchase Program, Adjustment				(60,000,000)
Dividends			(116,795,000)	(125,192,000)
Distributions to Noncontrolling Interests			0	0
Repayment of financing obligation			0
Contribution from general partner			10,586,000	(19,610,000)
Other, net			(2,123,000)	(1,010,000)
Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities			333,756,000	(681,100,000)
Increase (decrease) for the period			395,588,000	(342,220,000)
Beginning of period		51,520,000	51,520,000	565,155,000
End of period	447,108,000		447,108,000	222,935,000
Non-Guarantor Non-Restricted Subsidiaries (HEP Segment) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash flows from operating activities			104,076,000	111,031,000
Additions to properties, plants and equipment			0	0
Purchase of equity method investment - HEP			(42,500,000)
Proceeds from sale of assets			18,000	386,000
Purchases of marketable securities			0	0
Sales and maturities of marketable securities			0	0
Net cash used for investing activities			(75,149,000)	(69,457,000)
Net borrowings under credit agreement			74,000,000	33,000,000
Net proceeds from Issuance of senior notes			0
Net proceeds from issuance of term loan			0
Proceeds from issuance of common units - HEP			13,690,000
Redemption of senior notes				0
Purchase of treasury stock			0	0
Accelerated Share Repurchase Program, Adjustment				0
Dividends			0	0
Distributions to Noncontrolling Interests			(93,609,000)	(85,489,000)
Repayment of financing obligation			(39,500,000)
Contribution from general partner			10,586,000	19,610,000
Other, net			(4,225,000)	(1,101,000)
Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities			(39,058,000)	(33,980,000)
Increase (decrease) for the period			(10,131,000)	7,594,000
Beginning of period		15,013,000	15,013,000	2,830,000
End of period	4,882,000		4,882,000	10,424,000
HEP [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Additions to properties, plants and equipment			(32,667,000)	(69,843,000)
Purchase of equity method investment - HEP			(42,500,000)	0
Repayment of financing obligation		(39,500,000)	(39,500,000)	0
Beginning of period		15,013,000	15,013,000
End of period	4,882,000		4,882,000
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				0
HEP [Member] | Non-Guarantor Non-Restricted Subsidiaries (HEP Segment) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Additions to properties, plants and equipment			(32,667,000)	(69,843,000)
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash flows from operating activities			(49,769,000)	(43,893,000)
Additions to properties, plants and equipment			0	0
Proceeds from sale of assets			0	0
Purchases of marketable securities			0	0
Sales and maturities of marketable securities			0	0
Net cash used for investing activities			0	0
Net proceeds from Issuance of senior notes			0
Net proceeds from issuance of term loan			0
Proceeds from issuance of common units - HEP			0
Redemption of senior notes				0
Purchase of treasury stock			0	0
Accelerated Share Repurchase Program, Adjustment				0
Dividends			0	0
Distributions to Noncontrolling Interests			49,769,000	43,893,000
Repayment of financing obligation			0
Contribution from general partner			0	0
Other, net			0	0
Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities			49,769,000	43,893,000
Increase (decrease) for the period			0	0
Beginning of period		$ 0	0	0
End of period	$ 0		0	0
Eliminations [Member] | HEP [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Additions to properties, plants and equipment			0	0
Purchase of equity method investment - HEP			0
Net borrowings under credit agreement			$ 0	$ 0