Stock-Based Compensation	9 Months Ended
Stock-Based Compensation	Sep. 30, 2016
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Stock-Based Compensation	Stock–Based Compensation On April 28, 2016, Valley’s shareholders approved the new 2016 Long-Term Stock Incentive Plan (the "2016 Stock Plan") administered by the Compensation and Human Resources Committee (the “Committee”) appointed by Valley’s Board of Directors. The purpose of the 2016 Stock Plan is to provide incentives to attract, retain and motivate officers and other key employees by providing a direct financial interest in Valley's continued success, and provide the flexibility to grant equity awards to non-employee directors as part of their compensation. The 2016 Stock Plan will also ensure that Valley has sufficient shares to meet its anticipated long-term equity compensation needs. Effective January 1, 2016, the 2.2 million of common shares remaining under Valley's 2009 Long-Term Stock Incentive Plan (the "2009 Stock Plan") became available for future grants under the 2016 Stock Plan. Accordingly, Valley will no longer grant new awards under the 2009 Stock Plan. Under the 2016 Stock Plan, Valley may award shares to its employees and non-employee directors shares of common stock in the form of stock appreciation rights, both incentive and non-qualified stock options, restricted stock and restricted stock units (RSUs). As of September 30, 2016, up to 8.3 million shares of common stock were available for issuance under the 2016 Stock Plan. The essential features of each award are described in the award agreement relating to that award. The grant, exercise, vesting, settlement or payment of an award may be based upon the fair value of Valley’s common stock on the last sale price reported for Valley’s common stock on such date or the last sale price reported preceding such date, except for performance-based awards with a market condition. The grant date fair values of performance-based awards that vest based on a market condition are determined by a third party specialist using a Monte Carlo valuation model. Valley awarded time-based restricted stock totaling 534 thousand shares and 492 thousand shares during the nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively, to both executive officers and key employees of Valley. Time-based restricted stock issued during the three months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015 were immaterial. Valley also awarded 431 thousand and 313 thousand shares of performance-based RSUs under the 2016 Stock Plan during the nine months ended September 30, 2016, respectively, to certain executive officers. There were no awards of the performance-based RSUs during the three months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015. The RSUs earn dividend equivalents (equal to cash dividends paid on Valley's common stock) over the applicable performance period. Dividend equivalents and accrued interest, per the terms of the agreements, are accumulated and paid to the grantee at the vesting date, or forfeited if the performance conditions are not met. The performance-based awards vest based on (i) growth in tangible book value per share plus dividends (75 percent of performance shares) and (ii) total shareholder return as compared to our peer group (25 percent of performance shares). The majority of the performance-based awards "cliff" vest after three years based on the cumulative performance of Valley during that time period. The non-performance based awards have vesting periods ranging from three to six years. Generally, the restrictions on such awards lapse at an annual or bi-annual rate of one-third of the total award commencing with the first or second anniversary of the date of grant, respectively. The average grant date fair value of non-performance and performance-based restricted stock awarded during the nine months ended September 30, 2016 was $8.58. Valley recorded stock-based compensation expense of $2.2 million and $2.0 million for the three months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively, and $7.4 million and $6.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The fair values of stock awards are expensed over the shorter of the vesting or required service period. As of September 30, 2016, the unrecognized amortization expense for all stock-based employee compensation totaled approximately $16.9 million and will be recognized over an average remaining vesting period of approximately 3 years.

The entire disclosure for compensation-related costs for equity-based compensation, which may include disclosure of policies, compensation plan details, allocation of equity compensation, incentive distributions, equity-based arrangements to obtain goods and services, deferred compensation arrangements, employee stock ownership plan details and employee stock purchase plan details.