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Stock-Based Compensation (Details) (USD $)
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
LTIP Paragraph 1 [Abstract]  
Common stock was authorized for grants under the LTIP 44,550us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsPeriodIncreaseDecrease
Weighted-average per share grant date fair value of unvested shares $ 52.05us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsNonvestedWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
LTIP unrecognized compensation expense $ 3,200,000nwn_LTIPunrecognizedcompensationexpense
Unrecognized compensation cost, period for recognition through 2017
Fair value pricing model LTIP Monte-Carlo option pricing model
Stock price on valuation date $ 47.64nwn_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardMarketValueOnValuationDate
Performance term (in years) 3 years
Quarterly Dividends Paid Per Share $ 0.465nwn_QuarterlyDividendsPaidPerShare
Expected dividend yield 3.80%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsExpectedDividendRate
Dividend Discount Factor 0.8966nwn_DividendDiscountFactor
LTIP Paragraph 2 [Abstract]  
Shares Granted Under RSU 28,020nwn_SharesGrantedUnderRsu
Stock Price On Restricted Stock Unit Grant Date, Minimum $ 47.64nwn_StockPriceOnRestrictedStockUnitGrantDateMinimum
RSU unrecognized compensation expense $ 3,300,000nwn_RSUunrecognizedcompensationexpense
Unrecognized compensation cost, restricted stock units, period for recognition through 2019