Operating Segments (Financial Results for the Company's Operating Segments) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2013		Jun. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2013		Jun. 30, 2012		Dec. 31, 2012
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Site rental	$ 616,849,000		$ 517,588,000		$ 1,232,264,000		$ 1,015,117,000
Network services and other	118,079,000		67,923,000		242,724,000		122,139,000
Net revenues	734,928,000		585,511,000		1,474,988,000		1,137,256,000
Site rental	179,015,000	[1]	131,571,000	[1]	356,621,000	[1]	254,442,000	[1]
Network services and other	70,199,000	[1]	40,262,000	[1]	147,576,000	[1]	71,783,000	[1]
General and administrative	54,790,000		47,078,000		113,035,000		98,079,000
Asset write-down charges	3,097,000		3,646,000		6,812,000		6,690,000
Acquisition and integration costs	7,215,000		7,495,000		8,817,000		9,175,000
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	190,651,000		152,482,000		377,110,000		291,882,000
Total operating expenses	504,967,000		382,534,000		1,009,971,000		732,051,000
Operating income (loss)	229,961,000		202,977,000		465,017,000		405,205,000
Interest expense and amortization of deferred financing costs	(140,256,000)		(144,940,000)		(304,625,000)		(282,412,000)
Gains (losses) on retirement of long-term obligations	(577,000)		(7,518,000)		(36,486,000)	[2]	(14,586,000)
Interest income	328,000		382,000		625,000		736,000
Other income (expense)	507,000		(2,249,000)		(122,000)		(3,326,000)
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	(36,587,000)		68,432,000		(54,295,000)		61,737,000
Net income (loss)	53,376,000		117,084,000		70,114,000		167,354,000
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to the noncontrolling interest	1,017,000		1,071,000		2,293,000		1,310,000
Net income (loss) attributable to CCIC stockholders	52,359,000		116,013,000		67,821,000		166,044,000
Capital expenditures	138,467,000		94,645,000		254,820,000		159,697,000
Total assets (at quarter end)	15,392,585,000				15,392,585,000				16,088,709,000
CCUSA [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Site rental	583,584,000		487,761,000		1,164,851,000		955,880,000
Network services and other	113,057,000		62,049,000		230,918,000		109,017,000
Net revenues	696,641,000		549,810,000		1,395,769,000		1,064,897,000
Site rental	169,234,000	[1]	123,063,000	[1]	336,826,000	[1]	237,007,000	[1]
Network services and other	66,035,000	[1]	36,846,000	[1]	137,884,000	[1]	63,648,000	[1]
General and administrative	49,225,000		41,541,000		101,786,000		85,194,000
Asset write-down charges	3,008,000		3,646,000		6,611,000		6,679,000
Acquisition and integration costs	7,030,000		7,469,000		8,631,000		9,121,000
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	183,304,000		144,793,000		362,430,000		276,434,000
Total operating expenses	477,836,000		357,358,000		954,168,000		678,083,000
Operating income (loss)	218,805,000		192,452,000		441,601,000		386,814,000
Interest expense and amortization of deferred financing costs	(140,256,000)		(144,940,000)		(304,625,000)		(282,399,000)
Gains (losses) on retirement of long-term obligations	(577,000)		(7,518,000)		(36,486,000)		(14,586,000)
Interest income	246,000		258,000		449,000		455,000
Other income (expense)	4,808,000		2,756,000		8,628,000		7,043,000
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	(34,304,000)		68,921,000		(49,917,000)		62,747,000
Net income (loss)	48,722,000		111,929,000		59,650,000		160,074,000
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to the noncontrolling interest	0		(58,000)		0		(268,000)
Net income (loss) attributable to CCIC stockholders	48,722,000		111,987,000		59,650,000		160,342,000
Capital expenditures	134,513,000		88,687,000		247,713,000		150,901,000
CCAL [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Site rental	33,265,000		29,827,000		67,413,000		59,237,000
Network services and other	5,022,000		5,874,000		11,806,000		13,122,000
Net revenues	38,287,000		35,701,000		79,219,000		72,359,000
Site rental	9,781,000	[1]	8,508,000	[1]	19,795,000	[1]	17,435,000	[1]
Network services and other	4,164,000	[1]	3,416,000	[1]	9,692,000	[1]	8,135,000	[1]
General and administrative	5,565,000		5,537,000		11,249,000		12,885,000
Asset write-down charges	89,000		0		201,000		11,000
Acquisition and integration costs	185,000		26,000		186,000		54,000
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	7,347,000		7,689,000		14,680,000		15,448,000
Total operating expenses	27,131,000		25,176,000		55,803,000		53,968,000
Operating income (loss)	11,156,000		10,525,000		23,416,000		18,391,000
Interest expense and amortization of deferred financing costs	(4,316,000)		(5,000,000)		(8,762,000)		(10,337,000)
Gains (losses) on retirement of long-term obligations	0		0		0		0
Interest income	82,000		124,000		176,000		281,000
Other income (expense)	15,000		(5,000)		12,000		(45,000)
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	(2,283,000)		(489,000)		(4,378,000)		(1,010,000)
Net income (loss)	4,654,000		5,155,000		10,464,000		7,280,000
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to the noncontrolling interest	1,017,000		1,129,000		2,293,000		1,578,000
Net income (loss) attributable to CCIC stockholders	3,637,000		4,026,000		8,171,000		5,702,000
Capital expenditures	3,954,000		5,958,000		7,107,000		8,796,000
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	4,316,000		5,000,000		8,762,000		10,324,000
Gains (losses) on retirement of long-term obligations	0		0		0		0
Interest income	0		0		0		0
Other income (expense)	(4,316,000)		(5,000,000)		(8,762,000)		(10,324,000)
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		$ 0

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

[2] The losses predominantly relate to cash losses, including with respect to make whole payments.