Note 3 - Securities (Details Textual)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Unrealized Loss Position, Number of Positions	360
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Unrealized Loss Position, Total	$ 278,331,000	$ 252,521,000
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss, Total	11,357,000	7,559,000
Other than Temporary Impairment, Credit Losses Recognized in Earnings, Credit Losses on Debt Securities Held, Ending Balance	0
Proceeds from Sale of Available-for-sale Securities, Total	0	7,619,000	$ 264,000
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Amortized Cost, Total	347,795,000	341,948,000
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Total	337,366,000	335,744,000
Collateralized Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Unrealized Loss Position, Total	35,222,000	31,263,000
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss, Total	792,000	510,000
Proceeds from Sale of Available-for-sale Securities, Total	0	5,000,000	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Amortized Cost, Total	44,263,000	38,967,000
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Total	43,658,000	38,792,000
Municipal General Obligation Bonds [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Unrealized Loss Position, Total	72,884,000	67,510,000
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss, Total	1,165,000	638,000
Proceeds from Sale of Available-for-sale Securities, Total	0	2,600,000	$ 300,000
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Amortized Cost, Total	103,235,000	121,040,000
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Total	102,497,000	121,293,000
State of Michigan and All Its Political Subdivisions [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Amortized Cost, Total	98,200,000	112,000,000
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Total	97,400,000	112,000,000
All Other States and Their Political Subdivisions [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Amortized Cost, Total	8,700,000	12,900,000
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Total	8,700,000	13,000,000
US Government Agency Debt Obligations and Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Restricted	$ 104,000,000	$ 119,000,000

Amortized cost of investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale).

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82897076&loc=d3e27161-111563

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleDebtSecuritiesAmortizedCostBasis
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109979856&loc=d3e26610-111562

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (aa)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82897076&loc=d3e27161-111563

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecurities
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of restricted investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 860
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1A
-Subparagraph (b)(1)(i)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109249958&loc=SL6224234-111729

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtSecuritiesAvailableForSaleRestricted
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale), in unrealized loss position.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
-Subparagraph (a)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82897076&loc=d3e27290-111563

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtSecuritiesAvailableForSaleUnrealizedLossPosition
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of accumulated unrealized loss on investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale), in unrealized loss position.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
-Subparagraph (a)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82897076&loc=d3e27290-111563

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtSecuritiesAvailableForSaleUnrealizedLossPositionAccumulatedLoss
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of investments in debt securities measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale), in unrealized loss position.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
-Subparagraph (b)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82897076&loc=d3e27290-111563

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtSecuritiesAvailableForSaleUnrealizedLossPositionNumberOfPositions
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The cumulative amount of credit losses recognized in earnings related to debt securities held for which a portion of an other than temporary impairment (OTTI) was recognized in other comprehensive income (a component of shareholders' equity).

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 8B
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82897076&loc=SL6284393-111563

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 8B
-Subparagraph (g)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82897076&loc=SL6284393-111563

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OtherThanTemporaryImpairmentCreditLossesRecognizedInEarningsCreditLossesOnDebtSecuritiesHeld
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The cash inflow associated with the sale of debt and equity securities classified as available-for-sale securities.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 11
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109979856&loc=d3e26853-111562

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 12
-Subparagraph (a),(b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109223946&loc=d3e3179-108585

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_MortgageBackedSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=mbwm_MunicipalGeneralObligationBondsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=mbwm_StateOfMichiganAndAllItsPoliticalSubdivisionsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=mbwm_AllOtherStatesAndTheirPoliticalSubdivisionsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=mbwm_UsGovernmentAgencyDebtObligationsAndMortgageBackedSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: