2.4.0.82409403 - Disclosure - Stock-Based Compensation Stock Option Black Scholes Option Pricing Model Assumptions (Details)truefalsefalse1false falsefalseD2013Q2_us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis_us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMemberhttp://www.sec.gov/CIK0000780571duration2013-04-01T00:00:002013-06-30T00:00:00numberStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli02false falsefalseD2012Q2_us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis_us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMemberhttp://www.sec.gov/CIK0000780571duration2012-04-01T00:00:002012-06-30T00:00:00numberStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli03false falsefalseD2013Q2YTD_us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis_us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMemberhttp://www.sec.gov/CIK0000780571duration2013-01-01T00:00:002013-06-30T00:00:00numberStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli04false falsefalseD2012Q2YTD_us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis_us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMemberhttp://www.sec.gov/CIK0000780571duration2012-01-01T00:00:002012-06-30T00:00:00numberStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli01false 0truefalsetruefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalse1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse3falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse4falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse1false truefalseD2013Q2_us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis_us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMemberhttp://www.sec.gov/CIK0000780571duration2013-04-01T00:00:002013-06-30T00:00:00falsefalseEmployee Stock Option [Member]us-gaap_AwardTypeAxisxbrldihttp://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldius-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMemberus-gaap_AwardTypeAxisexplicitMembernumberStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli0nanafalse0Employee Stock Option [Member]2true 3us-gaap_FairValueAssetsAndLiabilitiesMeasuredOnRecurringAndNonrecurringBasisValuationTechniquesLineItemsus-gaap_truenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterseLabel1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse3falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalse4falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsexbrli:stringItemTypestringfalse0Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis, Valuation Techniques [Line Items]3false 4us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsExpectedDividendRateus-gaap_truenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterseLabel1truetruefalse00[1]falsefalsefalse2truetruefalse00[1]falsefalsefalse3truetruefalse00falsefalsefalse4truetruefalse00falsefalsefalsenum:percentItemTypepureThe estimated dividend rate (a percentage of the share price) to be paid (expected dividends) to holders of the underlying shares over the option's term.Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 718 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (f)(2)(iii) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901 false0Dividend yield4false 4us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsExpectedVolatilityRateus-gaap_truenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterseLabel1truetruefalse0.0000.000[1]falsefalsefalse2truetruefalse0.0000.000[1]falsefalsefalse3truetruefalse0.3810.381falsefalsefalse4truetruefalse0.4270.427falsefalsefalsenum:percentItemTypepureThe estimated measure of the percentage by which a share price is expected to fluctuate during a period. Volatility also may be defined as a probability-weighted measure of the dispersion of returns about the mean. The volatility of a share price is the standard deviation of the continuously compounded rates of return on the share over a specified period. That is the same as the standard deviation of the differences in the natural logarithms of the stock prices plus dividends, if any, over the period.Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 718 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (f)(2)(ii) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901 false0Expected volatility5false 4us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsRiskFreeInterestRateus-gaap_truenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterseLabel1truetruefalse0.0000.000[1]falsefalsefalse2truetruefalse0.0000.000[1]falsefalsefalse3truetruefalse0.0100.010falsefalsefalse4truetruefalse0.0090.009falsefalsefalsenum:percentItemTypepureThe risk-free interest rate assumption that is used in valuing an option on its own shares.Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 718 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (f)(2)(iv) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901 false0Risk-free interest rate6false 4us-gaap_SharebasedCompensationArrangementBySharebasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsExpectedTerm1us-gaap_truenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterseLabel1falsefalsefalse000 years[1]falsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse000 years[1]falsefalsefalse3falsefalsefalse005 years 5 months 11 daysfalsefalsefalse4falsefalsefalse005 years 1 month 21 daysfalsefalsefalsexbrli:durationItemTypenaExpected term of share-based compensation awards, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 718 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 14.D.2) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27013229&loc=d3e301413-122809 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 718 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (f)(2)(i) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) -Number Topic 14 -Section D -Subsection 2 false0Expected term (years)1There were no employee stock options granted for the three months ended June 30, 2013 and 2012.falseStock-Based Compensation Stock Option Black Scholes Option Pricing Model Assumptions (Details) (Employee Stock Option [Member])UnKnownUnKnownUnKnownUnKnowntruefalsefalseSheethttp://www.itron.com/role/StockBasedCompensationStockOptionBlackScholesOptionPricingModelAssumptionsDetails46