Additional Financial Information Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		11 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2017
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash flows from operating activities	$ (39,384)	$ 6,636
Additions to properties, plants and equipment	(51,492)	(107,389)
Purchase shares of PCLI	(840,432)	0
Proceeds from sale of assets	6	258
Purchases of marketable securities	(41,565)	(4,082)
Sales and maturities of marketable securities	465,716	148,204
Equity Company Distributions in Excess of Income	3,016	0
Net cash used for investing activities	(473,016)	(5,193)
Proceeds from Lines of Credit	380,000	53,000
Net borrowings/repayments under credit agreement	294,000
Net proceeds from Issuance of senior notes	0	246,690
Proceeds from issuance of common units - HEP	37,563	0	$ 63,800
Repayment of financing obligation		(39,500)
Redemption of senior notes	(309,750)	0
Purchase of treasury stock	0	(133,430)
Dividends	(58,992)	(58,602)
Distributions to Noncontrolling Interests	(26,536)	(21,731)
Other, net	(4,648)	(3,382)
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities, Continuing Operations		(3,382)
Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities	(68,363)	43,045
Effect of Exchange Rate on Cash	(304)	0
Increase (decrease) for the period	(581,067)	44,488
Beginning of period	710,579	66,533
End of period	129,512	111,021	129,512
HEP [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Additions to properties, plants and equipment	(8,265)	(42,184)
Repayment of financing obligation	0	(39,500)
Beginning of period	3,657
End of period	7,007		7,007
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash flows from operating activities	(29,844)	(24,479)
Additions to properties, plants and equipment	0	0
Proceeds from sale of assets	(424)
Purchases of marketable securities	0	0
Sales and maturities of marketable securities	0	0
Equity Company Distributions in Excess of Income	0
Net cash used for investing activities	(424)	0
Proceeds from issuance of common units - HEP	0
Redemption of senior notes	0
Purchase of treasury stock		0
Dividends	0	0
Distributions to Noncontrolling Interests	30,268	24,479
Other, net	0
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities, Continuing Operations		0
Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities	30,268	24,479
Effect of Exchange Rate on Cash	0
Increase (decrease) for the period	0	0
Beginning of period	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 shares of PCLI	0
Proceeds from sale of assets		0
Proceeds from Lines of Credit		0
Net borrowings/repayments under credit agreement	0
Net proceeds from Issuance of senior notes		0
Repayment of financing obligation		0
Holly Frontier Corp. Before Consolidation of HEP [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash flows from operating activities	(53,139)	(8,257)
Additions to properties, plants and equipment	(51,492)	(107,389)
Purchase shares of PCLI	(840,432)
Proceeds from sale of assets	6	258
Purchases of marketable securities	(41,565)	(4,082)
Sales and maturities of marketable securities	465,716	148,204
Equity Company Distributions in Excess of Income	0
Net cash used for investing activities	(467,767)	36,991
Net borrowings/repayments under credit agreement	0
Proceeds from issuance of common units - HEP	0
Redemption of senior notes	0
Purchase of treasury stock		(133,430)
Dividends	(58,992)	(58,602)
Distributions to Noncontrolling Interests	0	0
Other, net	(4,215)
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities, Continuing Operations		(32,925)
Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities	(63,207)	21,733
Effect of Exchange Rate on Cash	(304)
Increase (decrease) for the period	(584,417)	50,467
Beginning of period	706,922	51,520
End of period	122,505	101,987	122,505
Holly Frontier Corp. Before Consolidation of HEP [Member] | HEP [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Additions to properties, plants and equipment	0	0
Proceeds from Lines of Credit		0
Net proceeds from Issuance of senior notes		246,690
Repayment of financing obligation		0
Non-Guarantor Non-Restricted Subsidiaries (HEP Segment) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash flows from operating activities	43,599	39,372
Additions to properties, plants and equipment	0	0
Purchase shares of PCLI	0
Proceeds from sale of assets	424	0
Purchases of marketable securities	0	0
Sales and maturities of marketable securities	0	0
Equity Company Distributions in Excess of Income	3,016
Net cash used for investing activities	(4,825)	(42,184)
Proceeds from Lines of Credit		53,000
Net borrowings/repayments under credit agreement	294,000
Net proceeds from Issuance of senior notes		0
Proceeds from issuance of common units - HEP	37,563
Repayment of financing obligation		(39,500)
Redemption of senior notes	(309,750)
Purchase of treasury stock		0
Dividends	0	0
Distributions to Noncontrolling Interests	(56,804)	(46,210)
Other, net	(433)
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities, Continuing Operations		29,543
Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities	(35,424)	(3,167)
Effect of Exchange Rate on Cash	0
Increase (decrease) for the period	3,350	(5,979)
Beginning of period	3,657	15,013
End of period	7,007	9,034	$ 7,007
Non-Guarantor Non-Restricted Subsidiaries (HEP Segment) [Member] | HEP [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Additions to properties, plants and equipment	$ (8,265)	$ (42,184)