Additional Financial Information Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended		14 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2017
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash flows from operating activities		$ 473,398	$ 310,326
Additions to properties, plants and equipment		(116,526)	(214,660)
Purchase of PCLI, net of cash acquired		(870,627)	0
Purchases of marketable securities		(41,565)	(86,798)
Sales and maturities of marketable securities		465,716	149,599
Other, net		3,017	408
Net cash used for investing activities		(580,509)	(269,336)
Net borrowings/repayments under credit agreement		290,000	74,000
Net proceeds from Issuance of senior notes		0	246,690
Purchase Obligation Minimum Annualized Payment			350,000
Proceeds from issuance of common units - HEP		52,634	13,690	$ 77,100
Repayment of financing obligation	$ (39,500)		(39,500)
Redemption of senior notes - HEP		(309,750)	0
Purchase of treasury stock		0	(133,430)
Dividends		(117,754)	(116,795)
Distributions to Noncontrolling Interests		(53,776)	(43,840)
Contribution from general partner			0
Other, net		(4,820)	(6,348)
Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities		(143,466)	344,467
Effect of Exchange Rate on Cash		324	0
Increase (decrease) for the period		(250,253)	385,457
Beginning of period	66,533	710,579	66,533
End of period		460,326	451,990	460,326
HEP [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Additions to properties, plants and equipment		(20,524)	(75,385)
Purchase of equity method investment - HEP		0	(42,500)
Proceeds from Lines of Credit		479,000
Repayment of financing obligation		0	(39,500)
Beginning of period		3,657
End of period		16,339		16,339
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash flows from operating activities		(60,603)	(49,769)
Additions to properties, plants and equipment		0	0
Purchases of marketable securities		0	0
Sales and maturities of marketable securities		0	0
Other, net		(424)	0
Net cash used for investing activities		(424)	0
Net proceeds from Issuance of senior notes			0
Purchase Obligation Minimum Annualized Payment			0
Proceeds from issuance of common units - HEP		0
Redemption of senior notes - HEP		0
Purchase of treasury stock			0
Dividends		0	0
Distributions to Noncontrolling Interests		61,919	49,769
Contribution from general partner			0
Other, net		(892)	0
Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities		61,027	49,769
Effect of Exchange Rate on Cash		0
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
Purchase of PCLI, net of cash acquired		0
Net borrowings/repayments under credit agreement		0	0
Proceeds from issuance of common units - HEP			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		420,404	256,019
Additions to properties, plants and equipment		(116,526)	(214,660)
Purchase of equity method investment - HEP			0
Purchase of PCLI, net of cash acquired		(870,627)
Purchases of marketable securities		(41,565)	(86,798)
Sales and maturities of marketable securities		465,716	149,599
Other, net		1,152	390
Net cash used for investing activities		(561,850)	(151,469)
Net borrowings/repayments under credit agreement		0
Net proceeds from Issuance of senior notes			246,690
Purchase Obligation Minimum Annualized Payment			350,000
Proceeds from issuance of common units - HEP		0
Redemption of senior notes - HEP		0
Purchase of treasury stock			(133,430)
Dividends		(117,754)	(116,795)
Distributions to Noncontrolling Interests		0	0
Payments for Advance to Affiliate			53,304
Other, net		(4,059)	(2,123)
Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities		(121,813)	291,038
Effect of Exchange Rate on Cash		324
Increase (decrease) for the period		(262,935)	395,588
Beginning of period	51,520	706,922	51,520
End of period		443,987	447,108	443,987
Holly Frontier Corp. Before Consolidation of HEP [Member] | HEP [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Additions to properties, plants and equipment		0	0
Net borrowings/repayments under credit agreement			0
Proceeds from issuance of common units - HEP			0
Repayment of financing obligation			0
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash flows from operating activities		113,597	104,076
Additions to properties, plants and equipment		0	0
Purchase of PCLI, net of cash acquired		0
Purchases of marketable securities		0	0
Sales and maturities of marketable securities		0	0
Other, net		2,289	18
Net cash used for investing activities		(18,235)	(117,867)
Net borrowings/repayments under credit agreement		290,000	74,000
Net proceeds from Issuance of senior notes			0
Purchase Obligation Minimum Annualized Payment			0
Proceeds from issuance of common units - HEP		52,634	13,690
Repayment of financing obligation			(39,500)
Redemption of senior notes - HEP		(309,750)
Purchase of treasury stock			0
Dividends		0	0
Distributions to Noncontrolling Interests		(115,695)	(93,609)
Contribution from general partner			53,304
Other, net		131	(4,225)
Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities		(82,680)	3,660
Effect of Exchange Rate on Cash		0
Increase (decrease) for the period		12,682	(10,131)
Beginning of period	$ 15,013	3,657	15,013
End of period		16,339	4,882	$ 16,339
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] | HEP [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Additions to properties, plants and equipment		$ (20,524)	(75,385)
Purchase of equity method investment - HEP			$ (42,500)