Derivative Financial Instruments (Notional and Fair Value of Designated Risk Management Derivative Financial Instruments) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Derivative [Line Items]
Fair Value Asset	$ 2,042.1	$ 1,864.5
Fair Value Liability	2,235.8	2,261.8
Asset And Liability Management
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Value	9,868.0	7,556.0
Fair Value Asset	250.2	198.8
Fair Value Liability	87.4	38.0
Asset And Liability Management \| Fair Value Hedges \| Senior Notes and Long-Term Subordinated Debt \| Interest Rate Swap Contracts
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Value	1,250.0	1,250.0
Fair Value Asset	146.1	104.6
Fair Value Liability	3.0	2.2
Asset And Liability Management \| Fair Value Hedges \| Securities Available for Sale \| Interest Rate Swap Contracts
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Value	3,776.1	3,042.1
Fair Value Asset	4.3	10.8
Fair Value Liability	40.1	19.8
Asset And Liability Management \| Cash Flow Hedges \| Forecasted Foreign Currency Denominated Transactions \| Foreign Exchange Contracts
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Value	348.6	367.4
Fair Value Asset	8.9	8.5
Fair Value Liability	9.0	13.8
Asset And Liability Management \| Cash Flow Hedges \| Forecasted Foreign Currency Denominated Investment Securities \| Foreign Exchange Contracts
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Value	1,302.7	0.0
Fair Value Asset	0.4	0.0
Fair Value Liability	(7.0)	0.0
Asset And Liability Management \| Cash Flow Hedges \| Securities Available for Sale \| Interest Rate Contracts
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Value	975.0	935.0
Fair Value Asset	3.1	2.0
Fair Value Liability	0.2	0.7
Asset And Liability Management \| Net Investment Hedges \| Net Investments in Non-U.S. Affiliates \| Foreign Exchange Contracts
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Value	2,215.6	1,961.5
Fair Value Asset	87.4	72.9
Fair Value Liability	$ 42.1	$ 1.5

Aggregate notional amount specified by the derivative(s). Expressed as an absolute value.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Article 12
-Section 13
-Sentence Column B

+ Details

Name:	invest_DerivativeNotionalAmount
Namespace Prefix:	invest_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value, before effects of master netting arrangements, of a financial asset or other contract with one or more underlyings, notional amount or payment provision or both, and the contract can be net settled by means outside the contract or delivery of an asset. Includes assets elected not to be offset. Excludes assets not subject to a master netting arrangement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51824906&loc=SL20225862-175312

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4B
-Subparagraph (a),(c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64837297&loc=SL5624163-113959

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 20
-Section 55
-Paragraph 7
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51825145&loc=SL20226000-175313

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 860
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4D
-Subparagraph (c)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64830801&loc=SL51823488-111719

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeFairValueOfDerivativeAsset
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value, before effects of master netting arrangements, of a financial liability or contract with one or more underlyings, notional amount or payment provision or both, and the contract can be net settled by means outside the contract or delivery of an asset. Includes liabilities elected not to be offset. Excludes liabilities not subject to a master netting arrangement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 860
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4D
-Subparagraph (c)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64830801&loc=SL51823488-111719

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51824906&loc=SL20225862-175312

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4B
-Subparagraph (a),(c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64837297&loc=SL5624163-113959

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 20
-Section 55
-Paragraph 7
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51825145&loc=SL20226000-175313

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeFairValueOfDerivativeLiability
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=ntrs_AssetAndLiabilityManagementMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossByHedgingRelationshipAxis=us-gaap_FairValueHedgingMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=ntrs_SeniorNotesAndLongTermSubordinatedDebtMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=us-gaap_InterestRateSwapMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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

- Details

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

- Details

Name:	ntrs_ForecastedTransactionsAxis=ntrs_ForecastedForeignDenominatedTransactionsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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

- Details

Name:	ntrs_ForecastedTransactionsAxis=ntrs_ForeignCurrencyDenominatedInvestmentSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=ntrs_InterestRateOptionContractMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossByHedgingRelationshipAxis=us-gaap_NetInvestmentHedgingMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	ntrs_InvestmentHoldingsAxis=ntrs_NetInvestmentsInForeignAffiliatesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: