Consolidated Statements of Equity - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Series A Preferred Stock	Series B Preferred Stock	Series C Preferred Stock	TCF Financial Corporation	TCF Financial Corporation Series A Preferred Stock	TCF Financial Corporation Series B Preferred Stock	TCF Financial Corporation Series C Preferred Stock	Preferred Stock	Preferred Stock Series A Preferred Stock	Preferred Stock Series B Preferred Stock	Preferred Stock Series C Preferred Stock	TCF Common Stock	Additional Paid-in Capital	Retained Earnings	Retained Earnings Series A Preferred Stock	Retained Earnings Series B Preferred Stock	Retained Earnings Series C Preferred Stock	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	Treasury Stock and Other	Non-controlling Interests
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2015									4,006,900				169,887,030
Balance at Dec. 31, 2015	$ 2,306,917				$ 2,290,916				$ 263,240				$ 1,699	$ 851,836	$ 1,240,347				$ (15,346)	$ (50,860)	$ 16,001
Increase (Decrease) in Equity
Net income	221,717				212,124										212,124						9,593
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	(18,379)				(18,379)														(18,379)
Net investment by (distribution to) non-controlling interest	(8,432)				0																(8,432)
Repurchases of shares of common stock	0
Dividends on Preferred Stock		$ (12,938)	$ (6,450)			$ (12,938)	$ (6,450)									$ (12,938)	$ (6,450)
Dividends on common stock	(50,182)				(50,182)										(50,182)
Common shares purchased by TCF employee benefit plans (in shares)													511,420
Common shares purchased by TCF employee benefit plans	5,838				5,838								$ 5	5,833
Stock compensation plans, net of tax (in shares)													636,056
Stock compensation plans, net of tax	6,554				6,554								$ 6	6,548
Change in shares held in trust for deferred compensation plans, at cost	0				0									(1,441)						1,441
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2016									4,006,900				171,034,506
Balance at Dec. 31, 2016	2,444,645				2,427,483				$ 263,240				$ 1,710	862,776	1,382,901				(33,725)	(49,419)	17,162
Increase (Decrease) in Equity
Change in accounting principle | Accounting Standards Update 2016-09	0				0									1,319	(1,319)
Adjusted balance after cumulative adjustment related to change in accounting principle	2,444,645				2,427,483				$ 263,240				$ 1,710	864,095	1,381,582				(33,725)	(49,419)	17,162
Net income	278,784				268,637										268,637						10,147
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	18,600				18,600														18,600
Net investment by (distribution to) non-controlling interest	(9,482)				0																(9,482)
Public offering of Series C Preferred Stock (in shares)												7,000
Public offering of Series C Preferred Stock				$ 169,302				$ 169,302				$ 169,302
Redemption of Preferred Stock (in shares)										6,900
Redemption of Preferred Stock		(172,500)				(172,500)				$ (166,721)						(5,779)
Repurchases of shares of common stock	(9,163)				(9,163)															(9,163)
Dividends on Preferred Stock		$ (11,320)	(6,450)	(2,134)		$ (11,320)	(6,450)	(2,134)								$ (11,320)	(6,450)	$ (2,134)
Dividends on common stock	(50,617)				(50,617)										(50,617)
Common shares purchased by TCF employee benefit plans (in shares)													1,381,448
Common shares purchased by TCF employee benefit plans	23,254				23,254								$ 14	23,240
Stock compensation plans, net of tax (in shares)													(257,505)
Stock compensation plans, net of tax	7,665				7,665								$ (2)	7,667
Change in shares held in trust for deferred compensation plans, at cost	0				0									(17,785)						17,785
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2017									4,007,000				172,158,449
Balance at Dec. 31, 2017	2,680,584				2,662,757				$ 265,821				$ 1,722	877,217	1,577,311				(18,517)	(40,797)	17,827
Increase (Decrease) in Equity
Change in accounting principle | Accounting Standards Update 2018-02	0				0										3,392				(3,392)
Change in accounting principle | Accounting Standards Update 2017-12	(116)				(116)										(116)
Adjusted balance after cumulative adjustment related to change in accounting principle	2,680,468				2,662,641				$ 265,821				$ 1,722	877,217	1,577,195				(18,517)	(40,797)	17,827
Net income	315,628				304,358										304,358						11,270
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	(14,621)				(14,621)														(14,621)
Net investment by (distribution to) non-controlling interest	(10,638)				0																(10,638)
Redemption of Preferred Stock (in shares)											4,000,000
Redemption of Preferred Stock			(100,000)				(100,000)				$ (96,519)						(3,481)
Repurchases of shares of common stock	(212,929)				(212,929)															(212,929)
Dividends on Preferred Stock			$ (1,613)	$ (9,975)			$ (1,613)	$ (9,975)									$ (1,613)	$ (9,975)
Dividends on common stock	$ (99,490)				(99,490)										(99,490)
Common stock warrants exercised (in shares)	1,088,918												1,088,918
Common stock warrants exercised	$ 0				0								$ 11	(11)
Common shares purchased by TCF employee benefit plans (in shares)													34,627
Common shares purchased by TCF employee benefit plans	715				715									715
Stock compensation plans, net of tax (in shares)													302,852
Stock compensation plans, net of tax	8,715				8,715								$ 3	8,334						378
Change in shares held in trust for deferred compensation plans, at cost	0				0									(1,166)						1,166
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2018									7,000				173,584,846
Balance at Dec. 31, 2018	$ 2,556,260				$ 2,537,801				$ 169,302				$ 1,736	$ 885,089	$ 1,766,994				$ (33,138)	$ (252,182)	$ 18,459