Additional Financial Information Consolidating Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 460,326	$ 710,579	$ 451,990	$ 66,533
Marketable securities	0	424,148
Accounts receivable, net	602,350	479,199
Inventories	1,191,973	1,135,676
Income taxes receivable	1,428	68,371
Prepayments and other	37,686	33,036
Total current assets	2,293,763	2,851,009
Properties, plants and equipment, net	4,443,558	4,008,448
Intangibles and other assets	2,905,714	2,576,204
Total assets	9,643,035	9,435,661
Accounts payable	1,009,135	935,387
Income tax payable	24,427
Accrued liabilities	186,886	147,842
Total current liabilities	1,220,448	1,083,229
Long-term debt	2,227,951	2,235,137
Liability to HEP	0	0
Deferred income tax liabilities	745,050	620,414
Other long-term liabilities	207,502	194,896
Investment in HEP	0	0
Equity – HollyFrontier	4,613,903	4,681,394
Equity – noncontrolling interest	628,181	620,591
Total liabilities and equity	9,643,035	9,435,661
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Marketable securities		0
Accounts receivable, net	(43,486)	(58,902)
Inventories	0	0
Income taxes receivable	0	0
Prepayments and other	(6,165)	(5,829)
Total current assets	(49,651)	(64,731)
Properties, plants and equipment, net	(224,057)	(231,161)
Intangibles and other assets	616	555
Total assets	(273,092)	(295,337)
Accounts payable	(43,486)	(58,902)
Income tax payable	0
Accrued liabilities	(6,165)	(5,829)
Total current liabilities	(49,651)	(64,731)
Long-term debt	0	0
Liability to HEP	(202,382)	(208,603)
Deferred income tax liabilities	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	(528)	(590)
Investment in HEP	(151,055)	(136,435)
Equity – HollyFrontier	(405,127)	(412,012)
Equity – noncontrolling interest	535,651	527,034
Total liabilities and equity	(273,092)	(295,337)
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	16,339	3,657	4,882	15,013
Marketable securities		0
Accounts receivable, net	44,738	50,408
Inventories	1,470	1,402
Income taxes receivable	0	0
Prepayments and other	1,652	1,486
Total current assets	64,199	56,953
Properties, plants and equipment, net	1,347,276	1,365,568
Intangibles and other assets	493,476	497,966
Total assets	1,904,951	1,920,487
Accounts payable	15,928	26,942
Income tax payable	0
Accrued liabilities	31,680	37,793
Total current liabilities	47,608	64,735
Long-term debt	1,236,739	1,243,912
Liability to HEP	0	0
Deferred income tax liabilities	649	509
Other long-term liabilities	61,312	62,971
Investment in HEP	0	0
Equity – HollyFrontier	466,113	454,803
Equity – noncontrolling interest	92,530	93,557
Total liabilities and equity	1,904,951	1,920,487
Holly Frontier Corp. Before Consolidation of HEP [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	443,987	706,922	$ 447,108	$ 51,520
Marketable securities		424,148
Accounts receivable, net	601,098	487,693
Inventories	1,190,503	1,134,274
Income taxes receivable	1,428	68,371
Prepayments and other	42,199	37,379
Total current assets	2,279,215	2,858,787
Properties, plants and equipment, net	3,320,339	2,874,041
Intangibles and other assets	2,411,622	2,077,683
Total assets	8,011,176	7,810,511
Accounts payable	1,036,693	967,347
Income tax payable	24,427
Accrued liabilities	161,371	115,878
Total current liabilities	1,222,491	1,083,225
Long-term debt	991,212	991,225
Liability to HEP	202,382	208,603
Deferred income tax liabilities	744,401	619,905
Other long-term liabilities	146,718	132,515
Investment in HEP	151,055	136,435
Equity – HollyFrontier	4,552,917	4,638,603
Equity – noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total liabilities and equity	$ 8,011,176	$ 7,810,511