Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheets) (Details) - USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 1,604,000,000		$ 1,333,000,000
Receivables	165,000,000		142,000,000
Inventories:
Leaf tobacco	820,000,000		940,000,000
Other raw materials	201,000,000		186,000,000
Work in process	598,000,000		647,000,000
Finished product	569,000,000		558,000,000
Inventory, net	2,188,000,000		2,331,000,000
Due from Altria and subsidiaries	0		0
Income taxes	15,000,000		167,000,000
Other current assets	319,000,000		326,000,000
Total current assets	4,291,000,000		4,299,000,000
Property, plant and equipment, at cost	5,009,000,000		4,950,000,000
Less accumulated depreciation	3,047,000,000		3,012,000,000
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,962,000,000		1,938,000,000
Goodwill	5,262,000,000		5,196,000,000			$ 5,307,000,000
Other intangible assets, net	12,688,000,000		12,279,000,000			12,400,000,000
Investments in equity securities	27,346,000,000		30,496,000,000
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	0		0
Due from Altria and subsidiaries	0		0
Other assets	1,364,000,000		1,430,000,000
Total Assets	52,913,000,000		55,638,000,000
Liabilities
Short-term borrowings	0		12,704,000,000
Current portion of long-term debt	1,000,000,000		1,144,000,000
Accounts payable	246,000,000		399,000,000
Accrued liabilities:
Marketing	554,000,000		586,000,000
Settlement charges	3,094,000,000		3,454,000,000
Other	1,195,000,000		1,403,000,000
Dividends payable	1,573,000,000		1,503,000,000
Due to Altria and subsidiaries	0		0
Total current liabilities	7,662,000,000		21,193,000,000
Long-term debt	26,903,000,000		11,898,000,000
Deferred income taxes	5,240,000,000		5,172,000,000
Accrued pension costs	352,000,000		544,000,000
Accrued postretirement health care costs	1,764,000,000		1,749,000,000
Due to Altria and subsidiaries	0		0
Other liabilities	316,000,000		254,000,000
Total liabilities	42,237,000,000		40,810,000,000
Contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	39,000,000		39,000,000
Stockholders’ Equity
Common stock	935,000,000		935,000,000
Additional paid-in capital	5,960,000,000		5,961,000,000
Earnings reinvested in the business	39,910,000,000		43,962,000,000
Accumulated other comprehensive losses	(2,402,000,000)		(2,547,000,000)
Cost of repurchased stock	(33,858,000,000)		(33,524,000,000)
Total stockholders’ equity attributable to Altria	10,545,000,000		14,787,000,000
Noncontrolling interests	92,000,000		2,000,000
Total stockholders’ equity	10,637,000,000	$ 14,466,000,000	14,789,000,000	$ 15,496,000,000	$ 15,798,000,000	$ 15,380,000,000
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity	52,913,000,000		55,638,000,000
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Altria Group, Inc. [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	1,541,000,000		1,277,000,000
Receivables	0		0
Inventories:
Leaf tobacco	0		0
Other raw materials	0		0
Work in process	0		0
Finished product	0		0
Inventory, net	0		0
Due from Altria and subsidiaries	85,000,000		46,000,000
Income taxes	47,000,000		100,000,000
Other current assets	83,000,000		41,000,000
Total current assets	1,756,000,000		1,464,000,000
Property, plant and equipment, at cost	0		0
Less accumulated depreciation	0		0
Property, plant and equipment, net	0		0
Goodwill	0		0
Other intangible assets, net	0		0
Investments in equity securities	17,950,000,000		17,696,000,000
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	23,608,000,000		25,996,000,000
Due from Altria and subsidiaries	4,790,000,000		4,790,000,000
Other assets	107,000,000		193,000,000
Total Assets	48,211,000,000		50,139,000,000
Liabilities
Short-term borrowings			12,704,000,000
Current portion of long-term debt	1,000,000,000		1,144,000,000
Accounts payable	1,000,000		1,000,000
Accrued liabilities:
Marketing	0		0
Settlement charges	0		0
Other	346,000,000		295,000,000
Dividends payable	1,573,000,000		1,503,000,000
Due to Altria and subsidiaries	4,540,000,000		4,499,000,000
Total current liabilities	7,460,000,000		20,146,000,000
Long-term debt	26,903,000,000		11,898,000,000
Deferred income taxes	3,098,000,000		3,010,000,000
Accrued pension costs	146,000,000		187,000,000
Accrued postretirement health care costs	0		0
Due to Altria and subsidiaries	0		0
Other liabilities	59,000,000		111,000,000
Total liabilities	37,666,000,000		35,352,000,000
Contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	0		0
Stockholders’ Equity
Common stock	935,000,000		935,000,000
Additional paid-in capital	5,960,000,000		5,961,000,000
Earnings reinvested in the business	39,910,000,000		43,962,000,000
Accumulated other comprehensive losses	(2,402,000,000)		(2,547,000,000)
Cost of repurchased stock	(33,858,000,000)		(33,524,000,000)
Total stockholders’ equity attributable to Altria	10,545,000,000		14,787,000,000
Noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total stockholders’ equity	10,545,000,000		14,787,000,000
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity	48,211,000,000		50,139,000,000
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | PM USA [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0		0
Receivables	16,000,000		18,000,000
Inventories:
Leaf tobacco	466,000,000		561,000,000
Other raw materials	130,000,000		123,000,000
Work in process	8,000,000		2,000,000
Finished product	105,000,000		128,000,000
Inventory, net	709,000,000		814,000,000
Due from Altria and subsidiaries	3,825,000,000		3,828,000,000
Income taxes	27,000,000		94,000,000
Other current assets	193,000,000		167,000,000
Total current assets	4,770,000,000		4,921,000,000
Property, plant and equipment, at cost	2,940,000,000		2,928,000,000
Less accumulated depreciation	2,153,000,000		2,111,000,000
Property, plant and equipment, net	787,000,000		817,000,000
Goodwill	0		0
Other intangible assets, net	2,000,000		2,000,000
Investments in equity securities	0		0
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	2,861,000,000		2,825,000,000
Due from Altria and subsidiaries	0		0
Other assets	1,031,000,000		955,000,000
Total Assets	9,451,000,000		9,520,000,000
Liabilities
Short-term borrowings			0
Current portion of long-term debt	0		0
Accounts payable	82,000,000		91,000,000
Accrued liabilities:
Marketing	481,000,000		483,000,000
Settlement charges	3,086,000,000		3,448,000,000
Other	432,000,000		524,000,000
Dividends payable	0		0
Due to Altria and subsidiaries	499,000,000		407,000,000
Total current liabilities	4,580,000,000		4,953,000,000
Long-term debt	0		0
Deferred income taxes	0		0
Accrued pension costs	0		0
Accrued postretirement health care costs	1,073,000,000		1,072,000,000
Due to Altria and subsidiaries	0		0
Other liabilities	88,000,000		47,000,000
Total liabilities	5,741,000,000		6,072,000,000
Contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	0		0
Stockholders’ Equity
Common stock	0		0
Additional paid-in capital	3,310,000,000		3,310,000,000
Earnings reinvested in the business	611,000,000		359,000,000
Accumulated other comprehensive losses	(211,000,000)		(221,000,000)
Cost of repurchased stock	0		0
Total stockholders’ equity attributable to Altria	3,710,000,000		3,448,000,000
Noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total stockholders’ equity	3,710,000,000		3,448,000,000
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity	9,451,000,000		9,520,000,000
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	63,000,000		56,000,000
Receivables	149,000,000		124,000,000
Inventories:
Leaf tobacco	354,000,000		379,000,000
Other raw materials	71,000,000		63,000,000
Work in process	590,000,000		645,000,000
Finished product	464,000,000		430,000,000
Inventory, net	1,479,000,000		1,517,000,000
Due from Altria and subsidiaries	1,331,000,000		1,194,000,000
Income taxes	44,000,000		0
Other current assets	43,000,000		118,000,000
Total current assets	3,109,000,000		3,009,000,000
Property, plant and equipment, at cost	2,069,000,000		2,022,000,000
Less accumulated depreciation	894,000,000		901,000,000
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,175,000,000		1,121,000,000
Goodwill	5,262,000,000		5,196,000,000
Other intangible assets, net	12,686,000,000		12,277,000,000
Investments in equity securities	9,396,000,000		12,800,000,000
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	0		0
Due from Altria and subsidiaries	0		0
Other assets	897,000,000		952,000,000
Total Assets	32,525,000,000		35,355,000,000
Liabilities
Short-term borrowings			0
Current portion of long-term debt	0		0
Accounts payable	163,000,000		307,000,000
Accrued liabilities:
Marketing	73,000,000		103,000,000
Settlement charges	8,000,000		6,000,000
Other	520,000,000		611,000,000
Dividends payable	0		0
Due to Altria and subsidiaries	202,000,000		162,000,000
Total current liabilities	966,000,000		1,189,000,000
Long-term debt	0		0
Deferred income taxes	2,813,000,000		2,832,000,000
Accrued pension costs	206,000,000		357,000,000
Accrued postretirement health care costs	691,000,000		677,000,000
Due to Altria and subsidiaries	4,790,000,000		4,790,000,000
Other liabilities	169,000,000		96,000,000
Total liabilities	9,635,000,000		9,941,000,000
Contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	39,000,000		39,000,000
Stockholders’ Equity
Common stock	9,000,000		9,000,000
Additional paid-in capital	27,493,000,000		25,047,000,000
Earnings reinvested in the business	(2,937,000,000)		2,201,000,000
Accumulated other comprehensive losses	(1,806,000,000)		(1,884,000,000)
Cost of repurchased stock	0		0
Total stockholders’ equity attributable to Altria	22,759,000,000		25,373,000,000
Noncontrolling interests	92,000,000		2,000,000
Total stockholders’ equity	22,851,000,000		25,375,000,000
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity	32,525,000,000		35,355,000,000
Total Consolidating Adjustments [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0		0
Receivables	0		0
Inventories:
Leaf tobacco	0		0
Other raw materials	0		0
Work in process	0		0
Finished product	0		0
Inventory, net	0		0
Due from Altria and subsidiaries	(5,241,000,000)		(5,068,000,000)
Income taxes	(103,000,000)		(27,000,000)
Other current assets	0		0
Total current assets	(5,344,000,000)		(5,095,000,000)
Property, plant and equipment, at cost	0		0
Less accumulated depreciation	0		0
Property, plant and equipment, net	0		0
Goodwill	0		0
Other intangible assets, net	0		0
Investments in equity securities	0		0
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	(26,469,000,000)		(28,821,000,000)
Due from Altria and subsidiaries	(4,790,000,000)		(4,790,000,000)
Other assets	(671,000,000)		(670,000,000)
Total Assets	(37,274,000,000)		(39,376,000,000)
Liabilities
Short-term borrowings			0
Current portion of long-term debt	0		0
Accounts payable	0		0
Accrued liabilities:
Marketing	0		0
Settlement charges	0		0
Other	(103,000,000)		(27,000,000)
Dividends payable	0		0
Due to Altria and subsidiaries	(5,241,000,000)		(5,068,000,000)
Total current liabilities	(5,344,000,000)		(5,095,000,000)
Long-term debt	0		0
Deferred income taxes	(671,000,000)		(670,000,000)
Accrued pension costs	0		0
Accrued postretirement health care costs	0		0
Due to Altria and subsidiaries	(4,790,000,000)		(4,790,000,000)
Other liabilities	0		0
Total liabilities	(10,805,000,000)		(10,555,000,000)
Contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	0		0
Stockholders’ Equity
Common stock	(9,000,000)		(9,000,000)
Additional paid-in capital	(30,803,000,000)		(28,357,000,000)
Earnings reinvested in the business	2,326,000,000		(2,560,000,000)
Accumulated other comprehensive losses	2,017,000,000		2,105,000,000
Cost of repurchased stock	0		0
Total stockholders’ equity attributable to Altria	(26,469,000,000)		(28,821,000,000)
Noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total stockholders’ equity	(26,469,000,000)		(28,821,000,000)
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity	$ (37,274,000,000)		$ (39,376,000,000)