Operating Segments (Financial Results for the Company's Operating Segments) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014		Sep. 30, 2013		Sep. 30, 2014		Sep. 30, 2013
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Site rental	$ 751,893,000		$ 620,766,000		$ 2,245,395,000		$ 1,853,030,000
Network services and other	178,132,000		128,211,000		476,925,000		370,935,000
Net revenues	930,025,000		748,977,000		2,722,320,000		2,223,965,000
Site rental	241,110,000	[1]	181,966,000	[1]	706,177,000	[1]	538,587,000	[1]
Network services and other	103,023,000	[1]	81,998,000	[1]	279,344,000	[1]	229,574,000	[1]
General and administrative	71,395,000		58,504,000		205,397,000		171,539,000
Asset write-down charges	5,275,000		3,893,000		11,144,000		10,705,000
Acquisition and integration costs	4,068,000		4,369,000		28,924,000		13,186,000
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	254,862,000		195,408,000		759,288,000		572,518,000
Total operating expenses	679,733,000		526,138,000		1,990,274,000		1,536,109,000
Operating income (loss)	250,292,000		222,839,000		732,046,000		687,856,000
Interest expense and amortization of deferred financing costs	(141,287,000)		(142,016,000)		(432,221,000)		(446,641,000)
Gains (losses) on retirement of long-term obligations	0		(1,000)		(44,629,000)	[2]	(36,487,000)
Interest income	192,000		236,000		554,000		861,000
Other income (expense)	(678,000)		(631,000)		(9,477,000)		(753,000)
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	(482,000)		(33,959,000)		(86,000)		(88,254,000)
Net income (loss)	108,037,000		46,468,000		246,187,000		116,582,000
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to the noncontrolling interest	1,100,000		632,000		3,744,000		2,925,000
Net income (loss) attributable to CCIC stockholders	106,937,000		45,836,000		242,443,000		113,657,000
Capital expenditures	203,812,000		130,663,000		513,552,000		385,482,000
CCUSA [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Site rental	717,623,000		589,415,000		2,143,198,000		1,754,266,000
Network services and other	175,260,000		122,063,000		469,690,000		352,982,000
Net revenues	892,883,000		711,478,000		2,612,888,000		2,107,248,000
Site rental	230,599,000	[1]	172,791,000	[1]	676,275,000	[1]	509,617,000	[1]
Network services and other	101,814,000	[1]	77,929,000	[1]	275,514,000	[1]	215,812,000	[1]
General and administrative	65,212,000		52,312,000		187,171,000		154,098,000
Asset write-down charges	4,932,000		3,022,000		10,673,000		9,633,000
Acquisition and integration costs	4,068,000		4,243,000		28,852,000		12,875,000
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	247,206,000		186,521,000		738,965,000		548,951,000
Total operating expenses	653,831,000		496,818,000		1,917,450,000		1,450,986,000
Operating income (loss)	239,052,000		214,660,000		695,438,000		656,262,000
Interest expense and amortization of deferred financing costs	(141,287,000)		(142,016,000)		(432,221,000)		(446,641,000)
Gains (losses) on retirement of long-term obligations	0		(1,000)		(44,629,000)		(36,487,000)
Interest income	107,000		144,000		329,000		592,000
Other income (expense)	3,168,000		3,295,000		2,125,000		11,922,000
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	1,977,000		(32,538,000)		8,118,000		(82,455,000)
Net income (loss)	103,017,000		43,544,000		229,160,000		103,193,000
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to the noncontrolling interest	0		0		0		0
Net income (loss) attributable to CCIC stockholders	103,017,000		43,544,000		229,160,000		103,193,000
Capital expenditures	199,662,000		125,941,000		498,960,000		373,653,000
CCAL [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Site rental	34,270,000		31,351,000		102,197,000		98,764,000
Network services and other	2,872,000		6,148,000		7,235,000		17,953,000
Net revenues	37,142,000		37,499,000		109,432,000		116,717,000
Site rental	10,511,000	[1]	9,175,000	[1]	29,902,000	[1]	28,970,000	[1]
Network services and other	1,209,000	[1]	4,069,000	[1]	3,830,000	[1]	13,762,000	[1]
General and administrative	6,183,000		6,192,000		18,226,000		17,441,000
Asset write-down charges	343,000		871,000		471,000		1,072,000
Acquisition and integration costs	0		126,000		72,000		311,000
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	7,656,000		8,887,000		20,323,000		23,567,000
Total operating expenses	25,902,000		29,320,000		72,824,000		85,123,000
Operating income (loss)	11,240,000		8,179,000		36,608,000		31,594,000
Interest expense and amortization of deferred financing costs	(3,862,000)		(3,949,000)		(11,475,000)		(12,710,000)
Gains (losses) on retirement of long-term obligations	0		0		0		0
Interest income	85,000		92,000		225,000		269,000
Other income (expense)	16,000		23,000		(127,000)		35,000
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	(2,459,000)		(1,421,000)		(8,204,000)		(5,799,000)
Net income (loss)	5,020,000		2,924,000		17,027,000		13,389,000
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to the noncontrolling interest	1,100,000		632,000		3,744,000		2,925,000
Net income (loss) attributable to CCIC stockholders	3,920,000		2,292,000		13,283,000		10,464,000
Capital expenditures	4,150,000		4,722,000		14,592,000		11,829,000
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	3,862,000		3,949,000		11,475,000		12,710,000
Gains (losses) on retirement of long-term obligations	0		0		0		0
Interest income	0		0		0		0
Other income (expense)	(3,862,000)		(3,949,000)		(11,475,000)		(12,710,000)
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 make whole payments and are inclusive of $7.7 million related to the write off of deferred financing costs and discounts.