Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Narrative) (Details)		1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jun. 11, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Jan. 28, 2017 USD ($) distribution_center stores warehouse segment state office shares	Jan. 30, 2016 USD ($) stores shares	Jan. 31, 2015 USD ($) shares	Feb. 01, 2014 USD ($)
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of distribution centers | distribution_center			6
Number of reportable segments | segment			1
Stock dividends (splits) issued	2	2
Purchase obligations			$ 2,146,000,000
Fair value of cash and cash equivalents considered as Level 1 inputs			$ 1,111,599,000	$ 761,602,000	$ 696,608,000	$ 423,168,000
Packaway inventory, storage period, less than			6 months
Depreciation and amortization expense on property and equipment			$ 302,515,000	274,828,000	232,959,000
Capitalized interest			26,000	6,530,000	10,825,000
Asset impairment charges			0	0	0
Lease loss liability			$ 1,200,000	$ 1,800,000
Closed stores during period | stores			6	6
Book cash overdrafts			$ 96,300,000	$ 100,300,000
Advertising costs			$ 73,000,000	$ 77,100,000	$ 72,100,000
Anti-dilutive weighted average shares excluded from EPS calculation (in shares) | shares			2,500	25,000	5,100
Property, Plant and Equipment [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property and equipment purchased but not yet paid			$ 25,700,000	$ 35,800,000	$ 58,600,000
Minimum [Member] | Equipment [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property and equipment estimated useful life, straight-line method			3 years
Minimum [Member] | Land Improvements and Buildings [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property and equipment estimated useful life, straight-line method			20 years
Maximum [Member] | Equipment [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property and equipment estimated useful life, straight-line method			12 years
Maximum [Member] | Land Improvements and Buildings [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property and equipment estimated useful life, straight-line method			40 years
Ross Dress For Less [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of stores | stores			1,340
Number of states company operates in | state			36
dd's Discounts [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of stores | stores			193
Number of states company operates in | state			15
California [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of distribution centers | distribution_center			3
Number of buying offices | office			1
Number of warehouses | warehouse			2
Stores as percentage of total			24.00%