Supplemental Financial Information (Consolidating Statement of Income) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended																12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2016		Sep. 30, 2016		Jun. 30, 2016		Mar. 31, 2016		Dec. 31, 2015		Sep. 30, 2015		Jun. 30, 2015		Mar. 31, 2015		Dec. 31, 2016		Dec. 31, 2015		Dec. 31, 2014
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues		$ 2,955,068		$ 2,847,270		$ 2,714,638		$ 2,018,724		$ 2,943,559		$ 3,585,823		$ 3,701,912		$ 3,006,626		$ 10,535,700		$ 13,237,920		$ 19,764,327
Cost of products sold																		8,765,927		10,239,218		17,228,385
Lower of cost or market inventory valuation adjustment		97,700		300		138,500		56,100		143,600		225,500		135,500		6,500		(291,938)		226,979		397,478
Operating expenses																		1,018,839		1,060,373		1,144,940
General and administrative																		125,648		120,846		114,609
Depreciation and amortization																		363,027		346,151		363,381
Goodwill and asset impairment																		654,084		0		0
Total operating costs and expenses		2,842,776		2,722,505		3,135,180		1,935,126		3,000,265		3,263,218		3,112,080		2,618,004		10,635,587		11,993,567		19,248,793
Income (loss) from operations		112,292	[1],[2]	124,765	[1],[2]	(420,542)	[1],[2]	83,598	[1],[2]	(56,706)	[3]	322,605	[3]	589,832	[3]	388,622	[3]	(99,887)	[1],[2]	1,244,353	[3]	515,534
Earnings (loss) of equity method investments																		14,213		(3,738)		(2,007)
Interest income (expense)																		(69,701)		(40,079)		(39,216)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	$ 7,700																	(8,718)		(1,370)		(7,677)
Gain on sale of assets and other																		(7,441)		9,402		866
Other income (expense) total																		(71,647)		(35,785)		(48,034)
Income (loss) before income taxes		83,416		109,867		(430,515)		65,698		(64,671)		320,673		580,177		372,389		(171,534)		1,208,568		467,500
Income tax provision																		19,411		406,060		141,172
Net income (loss)																		(190,945)		802,508		326,328
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest																		69,508		62,407		45,036
Net Income (loss) attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders		$ 53,165		$ 74,497		$ (409,368)		$ 21,253		$ (43,921)		$ 196,322		$ 360,824		$ 226,876		(260,453)		740,101		281,292
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders																		(245,686)		708,052		308,364
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues																		10,467,358		13,171,846		19,708,328
Cost of products sold																		9,062,757		10,525,610		17,500,601
Lower of cost or market inventory valuation adjustment																		(291,938)		226,979		397,478
Operating expenses																		928,483		958,103		1,040,187
General and administrative																		113,117		108,290		103,785
Depreciation and amortization																		308,569		298,779		316,786
Goodwill and asset impairment																		654,084
Total operating costs and expenses																		10,775,072		12,117,761		19,358,837
Income (loss) from operations																		(307,714)		1,054,085		349,491
Earnings (loss) of equity method investments																		100,322		78,969		65,375
Interest income (expense)																		(8,355)		6,098		6,221
Loss on early extinguishment of debt																		(8,718)		(1,370)		0
Gain on sale of assets and other																		(8,118)		8,916		866
Other income (expense) total																		75,131		92,613		72,462
Income (loss) before income taxes																		(232,583)		1,146,698		421,953
Income tax provision																		19,126		405,832		140,937
Net income (loss)																		(251,709)		740,866		281,016
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest																		(34)		(30)		(25)
Net Income (loss) attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders																		(251,675)		740,896		281,041
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders																		(236,908)		708,847		308,113
HEP Subsidiary
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues																		402,043		358,875		332,626
Cost of products sold																		0		0		0
Lower of cost or market inventory valuation adjustment																		0		0		0
Operating expenses																		123,985		105,554		106,185
General and administrative																		12,531		12,556		10,824
Depreciation and amortization																		68,811		61,690		60,911
Goodwill and asset impairment																		0
Total operating costs and expenses																		205,327		179,800		177,920
Income (loss) from operations																		196,716		179,075		154,706
Earnings (loss) of equity method investments																		14,213		4,803		2,987
Interest income (expense)																		(52,112)		(36,892)		(36,098)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt																		0		0		(7,677)
Gain on sale of assets and other																		677		486		0
Other income (expense) total																		(37,222)		(31,603)		(40,788)
Income (loss) before income taxes																		159,494		147,472		113,918
Income tax provision																		285		228		235
Net income (loss)																		159,209		147,244		113,683
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest																		10,006		11,120		8,288
Net Income (loss) attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders																		149,203		136,124		105,395
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders																		149,161		136,217		105,434
Consolidations and Eliminations
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues																		(333,701)		(292,801)		(276,627)
Cost of products sold																		(296,830)		(286,392)		(272,216)
Lower of cost or market inventory valuation adjustment																		0		0		0
Operating expenses																		(33,629)		(3,284)		(1,432)
General and administrative																				0		0
Depreciation and amortization																		(14,353)		(14,318)		(14,316)
Goodwill and asset impairment																		0
Total operating costs and expenses																		(344,812)		(303,994)		(287,964)
Income (loss) from operations																		11,111		11,193		11,337
Earnings (loss) of equity method investments																		(100,322)		(87,510)		(70,369)
Interest income (expense)																		(9,234)		(9,285)		(9,339)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt																		0		0		0
Gain on sale of assets and other																		0		0		0
Other income (expense) total																		(109,556)		(96,795)		(79,708)
Income (loss) before income taxes																		(98,445)		(85,602)		(68,371)
Income tax provision																		0		0		0
Net income (loss)																		(98,445)		(85,602)		(68,371)
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest																		59,536		51,317		36,773
Net Income (loss) attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders																		(157,981)		(136,919)		(105,144)
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders																		$ (157,939)		$ (137,012)		$ (105,183)

[1] For 2016, income from operations reflects non-cash goodwill and long-lived asset impairment charges of $654.1 million in the second quarter.

[2] For 2016, income from operations reflects non-cash lower of cost or market inventory valuation reductions of $56.1 million and $138.5 million for the first and second quarters, respectively, and a charge of $0.3 million for the third quarter and a reduction of $97.7 million for the fourth quarter.

[3] ) For 2015, income from operations reflects non-cash lower of cost or market inventory valuation reductions of $6.5 million and $135.5 million for the first and second quarters, respectively, and increases of $225.5 million and $143.6 million for the third and fourth quarters, respectively.