Reclassification Adjustments out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Securities Available for Sale \| Realized (Gains) Losses on Securities Available for Sale \| Investment Security Losses, net
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Gross Reclassification Adjustment	$ 0.3	$ 0.1	$ 1.6
Realized (Gains) Losses on Cash Flow Hedges \| Foreign Exchange Contracts \| Other Operating Income/ Expense
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Gross Reclassification Adjustment	4.7	(4.0)	4.7
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Adjustments
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Gross Reclassification Adjustment	38.3	25.2	46.1
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Adjustments \| Employee Benefits
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Amortization of Net Actuarial (Gains) Losses	38.5	25.1	49.0
Amortization of Prior Service Cost	$ (0.2)	$ 0.1	$ (2.9)

Amount before tax of reclassification adjustment from accumulated other comprehensive (income) loss for prior service cost (credit) related to pension and other postretirement benefit plans.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (j)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=58740216&loc=d3e1928-114920

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 10A
-Subparagraph (j)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=36458714&loc=SL7669646-108580

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (i)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=58740216&loc=d3e1928-114920

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 11
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=36458714&loc=d3e637-108580

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OtherComprehensiveIncomeLossAmortizationAdjustmentFromAOCIPensionAndOtherPostretirementBenefitPlansForNetPriorServiceCostCreditBeforeTax
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount before tax of reclassification adjustment from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) for actuarial gain (loss) related to pension and other postretirement benefit plans.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 11
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=36458714&loc=d3e637-108580

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 15
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=36458714&loc=d3e689-108580

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (i)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=58740216&loc=d3e1928-114920

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (j)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=58740216&loc=d3e1928-114920

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OtherComprehensiveIncomeLossReclassificationAdjustmentFromAOCIPensionAndOtherPostretirementBenefitPlansForNetGainLossBeforeTax
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ReclassificationAdjustmentOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount before tax of reclassification adjustments of other comprehensive income (loss).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 14A
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=36458714&loc=SL7669686-108580

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ReclassificationFromAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeCurrentPeriodBeforeTax
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeAxis=us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	ntrs_ComponentsOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeAxis=ntrs_RealizedGainLossOnSaleOfAvailableForSaleSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis=ntrs_AccumulatedNetRealizedInvestmentGainsLossesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeAxis=us-gaap_CashFlowHedgingMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	ntrs_ComponentsOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeAxis=us-gaap_ForeignExchangeContractMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis=ntrs_OtherOperatingIncomeMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeAxis=ntrs_PensionAndOtherPostretirementAdjustmentsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis=ntrs_EmployeeBenefitsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: