Operating Segment (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2010	Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2010
Financial Information of Operating Segment [Abstract]
Net interest income	$ 10,678,000,000	$ 11,449,000,000	$ 21,329,000,000	$ 22,596,000,000
Provision for credit losses	1,838,000,000	3,989,000,000	4,048,000,000	9,319,000,000
Noninterest income	9,708,000,000	9,945,000,000	19,386,000,000	20,246,000,000
Total noninterest expense	12,475,000,000	12,746,000,000	25,208,000,000	24,863,000,000
Income (loss) before income tax expense (benefit)	6,073,000,000	4,659,000,000	11,459,000,000	8,660,000,000
Income tax expense (benefit)	2,001,000,000	1,514,000,000	3,573,000,000	2,915,000,000
Net income before noncontrolling interests	4,072,000,000	3,145,000,000	7,886,000,000	5,745,000,000
Less: Net income from noncontrolling interests	124,000,000	83,000,000	179,000,000	136,000,000
Wells Fargo net income (loss)	3,948,000,000	3,062,000,000	7,707,000,000	5,609,000,000
Average loans	751,300,000,000	772,500,000,000	752,700,000,000	784,900,000,000
Average assets	1,250,900,000,000	1,224,200,000,000	1,246,100,000,000	1,225,100,000,000
Average core deposits	807,500,000,000	761,800,000,000	802,200,000,000	760,500,000,000
Operating Segment (Textual) [Abstract]
Annual sales of wholesale banking customers			In excess of 20 million
Annual sales of small business community banking customers			up to $20 million
Community Banking [Member]
Financial Information of Operating Segment [Abstract]
Net interest income	7,359,000,000	8,063,000,000	14,902,000,000	16,316,000,000
Provision for credit losses	1,927,000,000	3,348,000,000	3,992,000,000	7,867,000,000
Noninterest income	5,208,000,000	5,543,000,000	10,302,000,000	11,254,000,000
Total noninterest expense	7,418,000,000	7,678,000,000	15,023,000,000	14,883,000,000
Income (loss) before income tax expense (benefit)	3,222,000,000	2,580,000,000	6,189,000,000	4,820,000,000
Income tax expense (benefit)	1,031,000,000	783,000,000	1,773,000,000	1,560,000,000
Net income before noncontrolling interests	2,191,000,000	1,797,000,000	4,416,000,000	3,260,000,000
Less: Net income from noncontrolling interests	104,000,000	81,000,000	154,000,000	129,000,000
Wells Fargo net income (loss)	2,087,000,000	1,716,000,000	4,262,000,000	3,131,000,000
Average loans	498,200,000,000	534,300,000,000	504,000,000,000	542,300,000,000
Average assets	752,500,000,000	771,300,000,000	756,200,000,000	774,000,000,000
Average core deposits	552,000,000,000	532,600,000,000	550,100,000,000	532,000,000,000
Wholesale Banking [Member]
Financial Information of Operating Segment [Abstract]
Net interest income	2,968,000,000	3,028,000,000	5,723,000,000	5,582,000,000
Provision for credit losses	(97,000,000)	635,000,000	37,000,000	1,445,000,000
Noninterest income	2,663,000,000	2,746,000,000	5,368,000,000	5,615,000,000
Total noninterest expense	2,766,000,000	2,873,000,000	5,566,000,000	5,558,000,000
Income (loss) before income tax expense (benefit)	2,962,000,000	2,266,000,000	5,488,000,000	4,194,000,000
Income tax expense (benefit)	1,012,000,000	803,000,000	1,884,000,000	1,491,000,000
Net income before noncontrolling interests	1,950,000,000	1,463,000,000	3,604,000,000	2,703,000,000
Less: Net income from noncontrolling interests	19,000,000	1,000,000	21,000,000	4,000,000
Wells Fargo net income (loss)	1,931,000,000	1,462,000,000	3,583,000,000	2,699,000,000
Average loans	243,100,000,000	228,200,000,000	238,900,000,000	232,600,000,000
Average assets	415,700,000,000	369,500,000,000	407,700,000,000	369,500,000,000
Average core deposits	190,600,000,000	162,300,000,000	187,700,000,000	162,000,000,000
Wealth Brokerage and Retirement [Member]
Financial Information of Operating Segment [Abstract]
Net interest income	691,000,000	684,000,000	1,387,000,000	1,348,000,000
Provision for credit losses	61,000,000	81,000,000	102,000,000	144,000,000
Noninterest income	2,395,000,000	2,183,000,000	4,849,000,000	4,429,000,000
Total noninterest expense	2,487,000,000	2,350,000,000	5,046,000,000	4,740,000,000
Income (loss) before income tax expense (benefit)	538,000,000	436,000,000	1,088,000,000	893,000,000
Income tax expense (benefit)	204,000,000	165,000,000	412,000,000	338,000,000
Net income before noncontrolling interests	334,000,000	271,000,000	676,000,000	555,000,000
Less: Net income from noncontrolling interests	1,000,000	1,000,000	4,000,000	3,000,000
Wells Fargo net income (loss)	333,000,000	270,000,000	672,000,000	552,000,000
Average loans	43,500,000,000	42,600,000,000	43,100,000,000	43,200,000,000
Average assets	147,700,000,000	141,000,000,000	147,100,000,000	139,400,000,000
Average core deposits	126,000,000,000	121,500,000,000	125,700,000,000	121,300,000,000
Other Segments [Member]
Financial Information of Operating Segment [Abstract]
Net interest income	(340,000,000)	(326,000,000)	(683,000,000)	(650,000,000)
Provision for credit losses	(53,000,000)	(75,000,000)	(83,000,000)	(137,000,000)
Noninterest income	(558,000,000)	(527,000,000)	(1,133,000,000)	(1,052,000,000)
Total noninterest expense	(196,000,000)	(155,000,000)	(427,000,000)	(318,000,000)
Income (loss) before income tax expense (benefit)	(649,000,000)	(623,000,000)	(1,306,000,000)	(1,247,000,000)
Income tax expense (benefit)	(246,000,000)	(237,000,000)	(496,000,000)	(474,000,000)
Net income before noncontrolling interests	(403,000,000)	(386,000,000)	(810,000,000)	(773,000,000)
Less: Net income from noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Wells Fargo net income (loss)	(403,000,000)	(386,000,000)	(810,000,000)	(773,000,000)
Average loans	(33,500,000,000)	(32,600,000,000)	(33,300,000,000)	(33,200,000,000)
Average assets	(65,000,000,000)	(57,600,000,000)	(64,900,000,000)	(57,800,000,000)
Average core deposits	$ (61,100,000,000)	$ (54,600,000,000)	$ (61,300,000,000)	$ (54,800,000,000)