Additional Financial Information Consolidating Statement of Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues			$ 3,719,247	$ 2,847,270	$ 10,258,594	$ 7,580,632
Operating costs and expenses:
Cost of products sold			2,888,530	2,341,837	8,283,127	6,215,155
Lower of cost or market inventory valuation adjustment			(111,128)	312	(15,323)	(194,282)
Operating expenses			321,668	256,232	944,437	760,151
General and administrative			68,013	32,994	184,659	88,270
Depreciation and amortization			102,884	91,130	304,206	269,433
Asset Impairment Charges					19,247	344,800
Goodwill and Intangible Asset Impairment			0	0	19,247	654,084
Total operating costs and expenses			3,269,967	2,722,505	9,720,353	7,792,811
Income (loss) from operations			449,280	124,765	538,241	(212,179)
Other income (expense):
Income (loss) from equity method investments			5,072	3,767	10,965	10,155
Interest income (expense)			(27,657)	(18,772)	(83,465)	(44,508)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	$ (8,700)	$ (8,700)	0	0	(12,225)	(8,718)
Other Nonoperating Income (Expense)			19,408	107	44,085	300
Nonoperating Income (Expense)			(3,177)	(14,898)	(40,640)	(42,771)
Income (loss) before income taxes			446,103	109,867	497,601	(254,950)
Income tax expense (benefit)			158,386	22,196	173,593	6,459
Net income (loss)			287,717	87,671	324,008	(261,409)
Less net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest			15,703	13,174	39,695	52,209
Net income (loss) attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders			272,014	74,497	284,313	(313,618)
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders			284,907	76,271	305,379	(301,836)
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues			(95,283)	(77,547)	(277,755)	(239,857)
Operating costs and expenses:
Cost of products sold			(73,776)	(72,417)	(217,482)	(224,086)
Lower of cost or market inventory valuation adjustment			0	0	0	0
Operating expenses			(20,737)	(4,336)	(57,950)	(13,304)
General and administrative			0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization			(3,606)	(3,610)	(10,709)	(10,751)
Asset Impairment Charges					0
Goodwill and Intangible Asset Impairment						0
Total operating costs and expenses			(98,119)	(80,363)	(286,141)	(248,141)
Income (loss) from operations			2,836	2,816	8,386	8,284
Other income (expense):
Income (loss) from equity method investments			(28,099)	(23,414)	(75,636)	(74,307)
Interest income (expense)			(2,392)	(2,391)	(7,141)	(6,909)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt					0	0
Other Nonoperating Income (Expense)			0	0	0	0
Nonoperating Income (Expense)			(30,491)	(25,805)	(82,777)	(81,216)
Income (loss) before income taxes			(27,655)	(22,989)	(74,391)	(72,932)
Income tax expense (benefit)			0	0	0	0
Net income (loss)			(27,655)	(22,989)	(74,391)	(72,932)
Less net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest			14,713	12,016	34,882	43,785
Net income (loss) attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders			(42,368)	(35,005)	(109,273)	(116,717)
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders			(42,379)	(35,121)	(109,273)	(116,600)
Holly Frontier Corp. Before Consolidation of HEP [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues			3,704,166	2,832,206	10,211,208	7,530,972
Operating costs and expenses:
Cost of products sold			2,962,306	2,414,254	8,500,609	6,439,241
Lower of cost or market inventory valuation adjustment			(111,128)	312	(15,323)	(194,282)
Operating expenses			306,407	228,469	899,803	684,388
General and administrative			64,390	30,329	175,787	79,652
Depreciation and amortization			87,889	76,225	258,400	230,332
Asset Impairment Charges					19,247
Goodwill and Intangible Asset Impairment						654,084
Total operating costs and expenses			3,309,864	2,749,589	9,838,523	7,893,415
Income (loss) from operations			394,302	82,617	372,685	(362,443)
Other income (expense):
Income (loss) from equity method investments			28,099	23,414	75,636	74,307
Interest income (expense)			(11,295)	(2,042)	(35,272)	(1,673)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt					0	(8,718)
Other Nonoperating Income (Expense)			19,255	(3)	43,769	197
Nonoperating Income (Expense)			36,059	21,369	84,133	64,113
Income (loss) before income taxes			430,361	103,986	456,818	(298,330)
Income tax expense (benefit)			158,456	22,135	173,429	6,249
Net income (loss)			271,905	81,851	283,389	(304,579)
Less net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest			0	(8)	(14)	(24)
Net income (loss) attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders			271,905	81,859	283,403	(304,555)
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders			284,832	83,632	304,503	(292,773)
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues			110,364	92,611	325,141	289,517
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			35,998	32,099	102,584	89,067
General and administrative			3,623	2,665	8,872	8,618
Depreciation and amortization			18,601	18,515	56,515	49,852
Asset Impairment Charges					0
Goodwill and Intangible Asset Impairment						0
Total operating costs and expenses			58,222	53,279	167,971	147,537
Income (loss) from operations			52,142	39,332	157,170	141,980
Other income (expense):
Income (loss) from equity method investments			5,072	3,767	10,965	10,155
Interest income (expense)			(13,970)	(14,339)	(41,052)	(35,926)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt					(12,225)	0
Other Nonoperating Income (Expense)			153	110	316	103
Nonoperating Income (Expense)			(8,745)	(10,462)	(41,996)	(25,668)
Income (loss) before income taxes			43,397	28,870	115,174	116,312
Income tax expense (benefit)			(70)	61	164	210
Net income (loss)			43,467	28,809	115,010	116,102
Less net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest			990	1,166	4,827	8,448
Net income (loss) attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders			42,477	27,643	110,183	107,654
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders			$ 42,454	$ 27,760	$ 110,149	$ 107,537