Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by operating activities		$ 5,810	$ 4,663	$ 4,375
Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities
Capital expenditures		(229)	(163)	(131)
Acquisition of Green Smoke, net of acquired cash		0	(102)	0
Proceeds from finance assets		354	369	716
Payment for derivative financial instrument		(132)	0	0
Other		(8)	73	17
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities		(15)	177	602
Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities
Long-term debt issued		0	999	4,179
Long-term debt repaid		(1,793)	(825)	(3,559)
Repurchases of common stock		(554)	(939)	(634)
Dividends paid on common stock		(4,179)	(3,892)	(3,612)
Changes in amounts due to/from Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries		0	0	0
Premiums and fees related to early extinguishment of debt		(226)	(44)	(1,054)
Cash dividends paid to parent		0	0	0
Other		5	7	(22)
Net cash used in financing activities		(6,747)	(4,694)	(4,702)
(Decrease) increase		(952)	146	275
Balance at beginning of year	$ 3,175	3,321	3,175	2,900
Balance at end of year		2,369	3,321	3,175
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Altria Group, Inc. [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by operating activities		5,085	4,924	4,520
Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities
Capital expenditures		0	0	0
Acquisition of Green Smoke, net of acquired cash			0
Proceeds from finance assets	0	0	0	0
Payment for derivative financial instrument		(132)
Other		0	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities		(132)	0	0
Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities
Long-term debt issued			999	4,179
Long-term debt repaid		(1,793)	(525)	(3,559)
Repurchases of common stock		(554)	(939)	(634)
Dividends paid on common stock		(4,179)	(3,892)	(3,612)
Changes in amounts due to/from Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries		814	(411)	432
Premiums and fees related to early extinguishment of debt		(226)	0	(1,054)
Cash dividends paid to parent		0	0	0
Other		17	11	(20)
Net cash used in financing activities		(5,921)	(4,757)	(4,268)
(Decrease) increase		(968)	167	252
Balance at beginning of year	3,114	3,281	3,114	2,862
Balance at end of year		2,313	3,281	3,114
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | PM USA [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by operating activities		5,204	4,451	4,192
Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities
Capital expenditures		(51)	(44)	(31)
Acquisition of Green Smoke, net of acquired cash			0
Proceeds from finance assets		0		0
Payment for derivative financial instrument		0
Other		10	70	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities		(41)	26	(31)
Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities
Long-term debt issued			0	0
Long-term debt repaid		0	0	0
Repurchases of common stock		0	0	0
Dividends paid on common stock		0	0	0
Changes in amounts due to/from Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries		(495)	(351)	240
Premiums and fees related to early extinguishment of debt		0	0	0
Cash dividends paid to parent		(4,671)	(4,124)	(4,400)
Other		0	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities		(5,166)	(4,475)	(4,160)
(Decrease) increase		(3)	2	1
Balance at beginning of year	1	3	1	0
Balance at end of year		0	3	1
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by operating activities		961	707	387
Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities
Capital expenditures		(178)	(119)	(100)
Acquisition of Green Smoke, net of acquired cash			(102)
Proceeds from finance assets		354	369	716
Payment for derivative financial instrument		0
Other		(18)	3	17
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities		158	151	633
Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities
Long-term debt issued			0	0
Long-term debt repaid		0	(300)	0
Repurchases of common stock		0	0	0
Dividends paid on common stock		0	0	0
Changes in amounts due to/from Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries		(319)	762	(672)
Premiums and fees related to early extinguishment of debt		0	(44)	0
Cash dividends paid to parent		(769)	(1,295)	(324)
Other		(12)	(4)	(2)
Net cash used in financing activities		(1,100)	(881)	(998)
(Decrease) increase		19	(23)	22
Balance at beginning of year	60	37	60	38
Balance at end of year		56	37	60
Total Consolidating Adjustments [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by operating activities		(5,440)	(5,419)	(4,724)
Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities
Capital expenditures		0	0	0
Acquisition of Green Smoke, net of acquired cash			0
Proceeds from finance assets		0	0	0
Payment for derivative financial instrument		0
Other		0	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities		0	0	0
Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities
Long-term debt issued			0	0
Long-term debt repaid		0	0	0
Repurchases of common stock		0	0	0
Dividends paid on common stock		0	0	0
Changes in amounts due to/from Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries		0	0	0
Premiums and fees related to early extinguishment of debt		0	0	0
Cash dividends paid to parent		5,440	5,419	4,724
Other		0	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities		5,440	5,419	4,724
(Decrease) increase		0	0	0
Balance at beginning of year	$ 0	0	0	0
Balance at end of year		$ 0	$ 0	$ 0