Additional Financial Information Consolidating Statement of Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues	$ 3,458,864	$ 2,714,638		$ 6,539,347	$ 4,733,362
Operating costs and expenses:
Cost of products sold	2,753,440	2,248,155		5,394,597	3,873,318
Lower of cost or market inventory valuation adjustment	83,982	(138,473)		95,805	(194,594)
Operating expenses	315,652	251,336		622,769	503,919
General and administrative	59,576	29,655		116,646	55,276
Depreciation and amortization	105,282	90,423		201,322	178,303
Asset Impairment Charges	19,247			19,247	344,800
Goodwill and Intangible Asset Impairment	19,247	654,084		19,247	654,084
Total operating costs and expenses	3,337,179	3,135,180		6,450,386	5,070,306
Income (loss) from operations	121,685	(420,542)		88,961	(336,944)
Other income (expense):
Income (loss) from equity method investments	4,053	3,623		5,893	6,388
Interest income (expense)	(29,469)	(13,724)		(55,808)	(25,736)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	0	0	$ (8,700)	(12,225)	(8,718)
Other Nonoperating Income (Expense)	9,800	128		24,677	193
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	(15,616)	(9,973)		(37,463)	(27,873)
Income (loss) before income taxes	106,069	(430,515)		51,498	(364,817)
Income tax expense (benefit)	31,996	(38,045)		15,207	(15,737)
Net income (loss)	74,073	(392,470)		36,291	(349,080)
Less net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest	16,306	16,898		23,992	39,035
Net income (loss) attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	57,767	(409,368)		12,299	(388,115)
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	68,428	(398,949)		20,472	(378,107)
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues	(93,278)	(79,327)		(182,472)	(162,310)
Operating costs and expenses:
Cost of products sold	(74,834)	(73,764)		(143,706)	(151,669)
Lower of cost or market inventory valuation adjustment	0	0		0	0
Operating expenses	(17,684)	(4,711)		(37,213)	(8,968)
General and administrative	20	0		0	0
Depreciation and amortization	(3,570)	(3,571)		(7,103)	(7,141)
Asset Impairment Charges	0			0
Goodwill and Intangible Asset Impairment		0			0
Total operating costs and expenses	(96,068)	(82,046)		(188,022)	(167,778)
Income (loss) from operations	2,790	2,719		5,550	5,468
Other income (expense):
Income (loss) from equity method investments	(26,949)	(25,096)		(47,537)	(50,893)
Interest income (expense)	(2,431)	(2,221)		(4,749)	(4,518)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt				0	0
Other Nonoperating Income (Expense)	0	0		0	0
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	(29,380)	(27,317)		(52,286)	(55,411)
Income (loss) before income taxes	(26,590)	(24,598)		(46,736)	(49,943)
Income tax expense (benefit)	0	0		0	0
Net income (loss)	(26,590)	(24,598)		(46,736)	(49,943)
Less net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest	14,789	14,552		20,169	31,769
Net income (loss) attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	(41,379)	(39,150)		(66,905)	(81,712)
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	(41,324)	(39,095)		(66,894)	(81,479)
Holly Frontier Corp. Before Consolidation of HEP [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues	3,442,999	2,699,069		6,507,042	4,698,766
Operating costs and expenses:
Cost of products sold	2,828,274	2,321,919		5,538,303	4,024,987
Lower of cost or market inventory valuation adjustment	83,982	(138,473)		95,805	(194,594)
Operating expenses	299,239	226,835		593,396	455,919
General and administrative	56,941	26,793		111,397	49,323
Depreciation and amortization	89,311	78,686		170,511	154,107
Asset Impairment Charges	19,247			19,247
Goodwill and Intangible Asset Impairment		654,084			654,084
Total operating costs and expenses	3,376,994	3,169,844		6,528,659	5,143,826
Income (loss) from operations	66,005	(470,775)		(21,617)	(445,060)
Other income (expense):
Income (loss) from equity method investments	26,949	25,096		47,537	50,893
Interest income (expense)	(13,393)	(339)		(23,977)	369
Loss on early extinguishment of debt				0	(8,718)
Other Nonoperating Income (Expense)	9,710	127		24,514	200
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	23,266	24,884		48,074	42,744
Income (loss) before income taxes	89,271	(445,891)		26,457	(402,316)
Income tax expense (benefit)	31,868	(38,098)		14,973	(15,886)
Net income (loss)	57,403	(407,793)		11,484	(386,430)
Less net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest	(4)	(9)		(14)	(16)
Net income (loss) attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	57,407	(407,784)		11,498	(386,414)
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	68,062	(397,364)		19,671	(376,405)
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues	109,143	94,896		214,777	196,906
Operating costs and expenses:
Cost of products sold	0	0		0	0
Lower of cost or market inventory valuation adjustment	0	0		0	0
Operating expenses	34,097	29,212		66,586	56,968
General and administrative	2,615	2,862		5,249	5,953
Depreciation and amortization	19,541	15,308		37,914	31,337
Asset Impairment Charges	0			0
Goodwill and Intangible Asset Impairment		0			0
Total operating costs and expenses	56,253	47,382		109,749	94,258
Income (loss) from operations	52,890	47,514		105,028	102,648
Other income (expense):
Income (loss) from equity method investments	4,053	3,623		5,893	6,388
Interest income (expense)	(13,645)	(11,164)		(27,082)	(21,587)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt				(12,225)	0
Other Nonoperating Income (Expense)	90	1		163	(7)
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	(9,502)	(7,540)		(33,251)	(15,206)
Income (loss) before income taxes	43,388	39,974		71,777	87,442
Income tax expense (benefit)	128	53		234	149
Net income (loss)	43,260	39,921		71,543	87,293
Less net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest	1,521	2,355		3,837	7,282
Net income (loss) attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	41,739	37,566		67,706	80,011
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	$ 41,690	$ 37,510		$ 67,695	$ 79,777