Operating Segments (Financial Results for the Company's Operating Segments) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2011		Jun. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2011		Dec. 31, 2011
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Site rental	$ 517,588,000		$ 457,103,000		$ 1,015,117,000		$ 913,299,000
Network services and other	67,923,000		43,233,000		122,139,000		86,076,000
Net revenues	585,511,000		500,336,000		1,137,256,000		999,375,000
Site rental	131,571,000	[1]	121,143,000	[1]	254,442,000	[1]	239,558,000	[1]
Network services and other	40,262,000	[1]	25,906,000	[1]	71,783,000	[1]	53,130,000	[1]
General and administrative	47,078,000		41,259,000		98,079,000		86,003,000
Asset write-down charges	3,646,000		6,205,000		6,690,000		10,606,000
Acquisition and integration costs	7,495,000		490,000		9,175,000		1,044,000
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	152,482,000		138,191,000		291,882,000		275,464,000
Total operating expenses	382,534,000		333,194,000		732,051,000		665,805,000
Operating income (loss)	202,977,000		167,142,000		405,205,000		333,570,000
Interest expense and amortization of deferred financing costs	(144,940,000)		(126,483,000)		(282,412,000)		(253,169,000)
Gains (losses) on retirement of long-term obligations	(7,518,000)		0		(14,586,000)		0
Interest income	382,000		208,000		736,000		379,000
Other income (expense)	(2,249,000)		(4,098,000)		(3,326,000)		(4,704,000)
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	68,432,000		(5,755,000)		61,737,000		(4,938,000)
Net income (loss)	117,084,000		31,014,000		167,354,000		71,138,000
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to the noncontrolling interest	1,071,000		143,000		1,310,000		250,000
Net income (loss) attributable to CCIC stockholders	116,013,000		30,871,000		166,044,000		70,888,000
Capital expenditures	94,645,000		64,040,000		159,697,000		116,690,000
Total assets (at quarter end)	12,597,676,000				12,597,676,000				10,545,096,000
CCUSA [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Site rental	487,761,000		429,454,000		955,880,000		860,097,000
Network services and other	62,049,000		40,017,000		109,017,000		77,681,000
Net revenues	549,810,000		469,471,000		1,064,897,000		937,778,000
Site rental	123,063,000	[1]	112,153,000	[1]	237,007,000	[1]	222,578,000	[1]
Network services and other	36,846,000	[1]	23,576,000	[1]	63,648,000	[1]	47,533,000	[1]
General and administrative	41,541,000		36,702,000		85,194,000		76,299,000
Asset write-down charges	3,646,000		5,930,000		6,679,000		10,287,000
Acquisition and integration costs	7,469,000		490,000		9,121,000		1,044,000
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	144,793,000		130,488,000		276,434,000		260,464,000
Total operating expenses	357,358,000		309,339,000		678,083,000		618,205,000
Operating income (loss)	192,452,000		160,132,000		386,814,000		319,573,000
Interest expense and amortization of deferred financing costs	(144,940,000)		(126,484,000)		(282,399,000)		(252,845,000)
Gains (losses) on retirement of long-term obligations	(7,518,000)		0		(14,586,000)		0
Interest income	258,000		70,000		455,000		140,000
Other income (expense)	2,756,000		1,717,000		7,043,000		6,730,000
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	68,921,000		(5,184,000)		62,747,000		(3,815,000)
Net income (loss)	111,929,000		30,251,000		160,074,000		69,783,000
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to the noncontrolling interest	(58,000)		0		(268,000)		0
Net income (loss) attributable to CCIC stockholders	111,987,000		30,251,000		160,342,000		69,783,000
Capital expenditures	88,687,000		61,080,000		150,901,000		112,326,000
Total assets (at quarter end)	12,532,201,000				12,532,201,000
CCAL [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Site rental	29,827,000		27,649,000		59,237,000		53,202,000
Network services and other	5,874,000		3,216,000		13,122,000		8,395,000
Net revenues	35,701,000		30,865,000		72,359,000		61,597,000
Site rental	8,508,000	[1]	8,990,000	[1]	17,435,000	[1]	16,980,000	[1]
Network services and other	3,416,000	[1]	2,330,000	[1]	8,135,000	[1]	5,597,000	[1]
General and administrative	5,537,000		4,557,000		12,885,000		9,704,000
Asset write-down charges	0		275,000		11,000		319,000
Acquisition and integration costs	26,000		0		54,000		0
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	7,689,000		7,703,000		15,448,000		15,000,000
Total operating expenses	25,176,000		23,855,000		53,968,000		47,600,000
Operating income (loss)	10,525,000		7,010,000		18,391,000		13,997,000
Interest expense and amortization of deferred financing costs	(5,000,000)		(5,816,000)		(10,337,000)		(11,758,000)
Gains (losses) on retirement of long-term obligations	0		0		0		0
Interest income	124,000		138,000		281,000		239,000
Other income (expense)	(5,000)		2,000		(45,000)		0
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	(489,000)		(571,000)		(1,010,000)		(1,123,000)
Net income (loss)	5,155,000		763,000		7,280,000		1,355,000
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to the noncontrolling interest	1,129,000		143,000		1,578,000		250,000
Net income (loss) attributable to CCIC stockholders	4,026,000		620,000		5,702,000		1,105,000
Capital expenditures	5,958,000		2,960,000		8,796,000		4,364,000
Total assets (at quarter end)	358,733,000				358,733,000
Elimination [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Site rental	0		0		0		0
Network services and other	0		0		0		0
Net revenues	0		0		0		0
Site rental	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]
Network services and other	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]
General and administrative	0		0		0		0
Asset write-down charges	0		0		0		0
Acquisition and integration costs	0		0		0		0
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	0		0		0		0
Total operating expenses	0		0		0		0
Operating income (loss)	0		0		0		0
Interest expense and amortization of deferred financing costs	5,000,000		5,817,000		10,324,000		11,434,000
Gains (losses) on retirement of long-term obligations	0		0		0		0
Interest income	0		0		0		0
Other income (expense)	(5,000,000)		(5,817,000)		(10,324,000)		(11,434,000)
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	0		0		0		0
Net income (loss)	0		0		0		0
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to the noncontrolling interest	0		0		0		0
Net income (loss) attributable to CCIC stockholders	0		0		0		0
Capital expenditures			0		0		0
Total assets (at quarter end)	$ (293,258,000)				$ (293,258,000)

[1] Exclusive of depreciation, amortization and accretion shown separately.