Debt (Details) (USD $)	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			3 Months Ended		0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	0 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012 9.70% Notes Due 2018 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 9.250% Notes Due 2019 [Member]	Aug. 09, 2012 2.85% Notes due 2022 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 2.85% Notes due 2022 [Member]	Aug. 09, 2012 4.25% Notes due 2042 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Short-term borrowings		$ 0		$ 0		$ 0
Long-term debt issued				2,787,000,000	1,494,000,000				1,900,000,000		900,000,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage							9.70%	9.25%	2.85%		4.25%
Loss on early extinguishment of debt		874,000,000	0	874,000,000	0
Debt Tender Fees		864,000,000
Debt Issuance Cost		10,000,000
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date Range, End									Aug. 09, 2022		Aug. 09, 2042
Required Purchase Price As Percentage Of Aggregate Principal Amount										101.00%	101.00%
Extinguishment of Debt, Amount		2,000,000,000					1,151,000,000	849,000,000
Repayments of Long-term Debt	600,000,000			2,600,000,000	0
Aggregate fair value of Altria's total long-term debt		18,000,000,000		18,000,000,000		17,700,000,000
Carrying value of Altria's total long-term debt		$ 13,900,000,000		$ 13,900,000,000		$ 13,700,000,000