STOCK AWARD PLANS - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Compensation Related Costs Share Based Payments Disclosure [Line Items]
Maximum employee contribution to purchase company stock	$ 10,000
Discount rate used to determine the purchase price	15.00%
Stock Option
Compensation Related Costs Share Based Payments Disclosure [Line Items]
Maximum shares that can be granted under stock plan	3,400,000
Shares available for stock awards	3,191,335
Stock award, vesting period	5 years
Unrecognized compensation expense	47,200,000
Restricted Stock Awards
Compensation Related Costs Share Based Payments Disclosure [Line Items]
Stock award, vesting period	5 years
Unrecognized compensation expense	$ 122,200,000
Restricted stock awards, discount for post-vesting holding restriction, lower limit	17.00%
Restricted stock awards, discount for post-vesting holding restriction, upper limit	22.00%

Name:	chrw_CompensationRelatedCostsShareBasedPaymentsDisclosureLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	chrw_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Share based Compensation Arrangement by Share based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Discount for Postvesting Restrictions Range, Lower Limit

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	chrw_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsDiscountForPostvestingRestrictionsRangeLowerLimit
Namespace Prefix:	chrw_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Share based Compensation Arrangement by Share based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Discount for Postvesting Restrictions Range, Upper Limit

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	chrw_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsDiscountForPostvestingRestrictionsRangeUpperLimit
Namespace Prefix:	chrw_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Share based Compensation Arrangement by Share based Payment Award, Maximum Contribution Per Employee

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	chrw_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardMaximumContributionPerEmployee
Namespace Prefix:	chrw_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Unrecognized cost of unvested share-based compensation awards.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 718

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (i)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

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

- Definition

Period which an employee's right to exercise an award 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

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 718

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (a)(1)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardAwardVestingPeriod1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Discount rate from fair value on purchase date that participants pay for shares.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 718

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

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

- Definition

The maximum number of shares (or other type of equity) originally approved (usually by shareholders and board of directors), net of any subsequent amendments and adjustments, for awards under the equity-based compensation plan. As stock or unit options and equity instruments other than options are awarded to participants, the shares or units remain authorized and become reserved for issuance under outstanding awards (not necessarily vested).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 718

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (a)(3)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAuthorized
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The difference between the maximum number of shares (or other type of equity) authorized for issuance under the plan (including the effects of amendments and adjustments), and the sum of: 1) the number of shares (or other type of equity) already issued upon exercise of options or other equity-based awards under the plan; and 2) shares (or other type of equity) reserved for issuance on granting of outstanding awards, net of cancellations and forfeitures, if applicable.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAvailableForGrant
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=chrw_FullValueAwardsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=us-gaap_StockOptionMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: