Fair value of assets transferred into (out of) a defined contribution plan.

No definition available.

Name:	cffi_DefinedContributionPlanAssetsTransferredToFromPlan
Namespace Prefix:	cffi_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Period which an employee's right to employer's contributions is no longer contingent on satisfaction of either a service condition, market condition or a performance condition, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cffi_DefinedContributionPlanEmployerMatchingContributionFullyVestedPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	cffi_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of employer's matching contribution to a defined contribution plan that vests after five years.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cffi_DefinedContributionPlanEmployerMatchingContributionVestedAfterFiveYears
Namespace Prefix:	cffi_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of employer's matching contribution to a defined contribution plan that vests after four years.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cffi_DefinedContributionPlanEmployerMatchingContributionVestedAfterFourYears
Namespace Prefix:	cffi_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of employer's matching contribution to a defined contribution plan that vests after three years.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cffi_DefinedContributionPlanEmployerMatchingContributionVestedAfterThreeYears
Namespace Prefix:	cffi_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of employer's matching contribution to a defined contribution plan that vests after two years.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cffi_DefinedContributionPlanEmployerMatchingContributionVestedAfterTwoYears
Namespace Prefix:	cffi_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The minimum age for eligibility to participate in the defined contribution plan.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cffi_DefinedContributionPlanMinimumAge
Namespace Prefix:	cffi_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The minimum period that the individual is required to perform services in order to participate in the defined contribution plan.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cffi_DefinedContributionPlanRequisiteServicePeriod
Namespace Prefix:	cffi_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The threshold age at which all unvested employer matching contributions to a defined contribution plan become fully vested in the event that the participant attains this age while an employee and prior to becoming fully vested in the employer's matching contributions.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cffi_VestingThresholdAge
Namespace Prefix:	cffi_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of the cost recognized during the period for defined contribution plans.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 70
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49170846&loc=d3e28014-114942

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanCostRecognized
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanDisclosureLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Maximum percentage of employee gross pay the employee may contribute to a defined contribution plan.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanMaximumAnnualContributionsPerEmployeePercent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanTypeAxis=cffi_ProfitSharingPlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=cffi_TheBankMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=cffi_CFFinanceMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=cffi_CVBMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanTypeAxis=cffi_SavingsPlan401kMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=cffi_CFMortgageMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanTypeAxis=us-gaap_OtherPostretirementBenefitPlansDefinedBenefitMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_TitleOfIndividualAxis=us-gaap_ChiefExecutiveOfficerMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanNameAxis=cffi_ManagementIncentivePlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanNameAxis=cffi_EmploymentAgreementPlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanNameAxis=cffi_NonqualifiedExecutivePlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Employee Benefit Plans - Defined Contribution Plans (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		12 Months Ended
	Mar. 22, 2014	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Defined contribution plans
Vesting Threshold Age		65 years
Profit-Sharing Plan
Defined contribution plans
Transfers between plans	$ 6,600
Profit-Sharing Plan \| The Bank
Defined contribution plans
Minimum age		18 years
Required service period		3 months
Vested percentage after 2 years of service		20.00%
Vested percentage after 3 years of service		40.00%
Vested percentage after 4 years of service		60.00%
Vested percentage after 5 years of service		80.00%
Fully vested period		6 years
Amounts charged to expense		$ 653	$ 633	$ 557
Profit-Sharing Plan \| C&F Finance
Defined contribution plans
Amounts charged to expense		$ 239	211	199
Profit-Sharing Plan \| CVB
Defined contribution plans
Transfers between plans	$ (6,600)
401(k) Savings Plan \| The Bank
Defined contribution plans
Maximum deferral as a percent of compensation		90.00%
401(k) Savings Plan \| C&F Mortgage
Defined contribution plans
Minimum age		18 years
Vested percentage after 2 years of service		25.00%
Vested percentage after 3 years of service		50.00%
Vested percentage after 4 years of service		75.00%
Fully vested period		5 years
Amounts charged to expense		$ 163	59	16
401(k) Savings Plan \| C&F Mortgage \| Minimum
Defined contribution plans
Maximum deferral as a percent of compensation		1.00%
401(k) Savings Plan \| C&F Mortgage \| Maximum
Defined contribution plans
Maximum deferral as a percent of compensation		100.00%
Postretirement benefit plan \| Chief Executive Officer
Defined contribution plans
Amounts charged to expense		$ 75	69
Management Incentive Plan
Defined contribution plans
Amounts charged to expense		1,440	1,500	1,200
Employment Agreements \| C&F Mortgage
Defined contribution plans
Amounts charged to expense		780	338	173,000,000
Nonqualified Executive Plan \| Profit-Sharing Plan
Defined contribution plans
Amounts charged to expense		$ 268	$ 226	$ 215