Debt and Other Obligations (Indebtedness) (Textuals Details) (USD $)	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2011
Variable Rate Revolver [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Increase to aggregate revolving commitment	$ 50,000,000
Total revolving commitment	450,000,000
Availablity on revolver	262,000,000
Debt instrument additional interest rate federal funds rate	0.50%
Debt instrument credit spread prime federal funds rate, minimum	1.00%
Debt instrument credit spread prime federal funds rate, maximum	1.40%
Debt instrument credit spread LIBOR rate minimum	2.00%
Debt instrument credit spread LIBOR rate maximum	2.40%
Variable Rate 2007 Term Loans [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument additional interest rate federal funds rate	0.50%
Debt instrument credit spread LIBOR rate	1.50%
Fixed Rate Securitized Debt 2010 Tower Revenue Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Additional interest accruing following anticipated repayment dates	5.00%
Fixed Rate Securitized Debt January 2010 Tower Revenue Notes First Tranche [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Face amount of debt instrument	300,000,000
Fixed Rate Securitized Debt January 2010 Tower Revenue Notes Second Tranche [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Face amount of debt instrument	350,000,000
Fixed Rate Securitized Debt January 2010 Tower Revenue Notes Third Tranche [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Face amount of debt instrument	1,300,000,000
Fixed Rate Securitized Debt August 2010 Tower Revenue Notes First Tranche [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Face amount of debt instrument	250,000,000
Fixed Rate Securitized Debt August 2010 Tower Revenue Notes Second Tranche [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Face amount of debt instrument	300,000,000
Fixed Rate Securitized Debt August 2010 Tower Revenue Notes Third Tranche [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Face amount of debt instrument	1,000,000,000
Fixed Rate Debt 2009 Securitized Notes First Tranche [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal balance outstanding on debt instruments	155,300,000
Fixed Rate Debt 2009 Securitized Notes Second Tranche [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal balance outstanding on debt instruments	$ 70,000,000
Fixed Rate - High Yield Bonds, 9% Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Effective yield rate, inclusive of discount	11.30%
Fixed Rate - High Yield Bonds, 7.75% Secured Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Effective yield rate, inclusive of discount	8.20%
Fixed Rate - High Yield Bonds, 7.125% Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Effective yield rate, inclusive of discount	7.20%
Capital Lease Obligations and Other [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument interest rate stated percentage rate range maximum	0.09
Contractual maturity date, start	1Y
Contractual maturity date, end	20Y

Debt instrument additional interest rate federal funds rate.

Name:	cci_DebtInstrumentAdditionalInterestRateFederalFundsRate
Namespace Prefix:	cci
Data Type:	us-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Additional interest rate margin that will accrue on the certain debt instruments if they are not paid in full on or prior to their anticipated repayment dates.

+ Details

Name:	cci_DebtInstrumentAdditionalInterestRateMargin
Namespace Prefix:	cci
Data Type:	us-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Debt instrument credit spread LIBOR rate.

+ Details

Name:	cci_DebtInstrumentCreditSpreadLiborRate
Namespace Prefix:	cci
Data Type:	us-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The maximum credit spread incremental to the LIBOR rate for purposes of determining the interest rate for a debt instrument.

+ Details

Name:	cci_DebtInstrumentCreditSpreadLiborRateMaximum
Namespace Prefix:	cci
Data Type:	us-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The minimum credit spread incremental to the LIBOR rate for purposes of determining the interest rate for a debt instrument.

+ Details

Name:	cci_DebtInstrumentCreditSpreadLiborRateMinimum
Namespace Prefix:	cci
Data Type:	us-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Debt instrument credit spread prime federal funds rate, maximum.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	cci
Data Type:	us-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Debt instrument credit spread prime federal funds rate, minimum

+ Details

Name:	cci_DebtInstrumentCreditSpreadPrimeFederalFundsRateMinimum
Namespace Prefix:	cci
Data Type:	us-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line of Credit Increased Borrowing Capacity

+ Details

Name:	cci_LineOfCreditIncreasedBorrowingCapacity
Namespace Prefix:	cci
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The stated principal amount of the debt instrument at time of issuance, which may vary from the carrying amount because of unamortized premium or discount.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher AICPA
-Name Accounting Principles Board Opinion (APB)
-Number 21
-Paragraph 16, 20

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Effective interest rate for the funds borrowed under the debt agreement considering interest compounding and original issue discount or premium.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 22
-Article 5

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateEffectivePercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	us-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

When presenting a range of interest rates, the highest stated (contractual) rate for funds borrowed under the debt agreement as of the balance sheet date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 22
-Article 5

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:pureItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

When presenting a range of maturity dates, the latest date when the outstanding debt instruments are required to be repaid. May be presented in a variety of ways (for example: year only, month and year, day, month and year, and number of years).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 22
-Article 5

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 129
-Paragraph 2, 4

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentMaturityDateRangeEnd
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	us-types:dateStringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

When presenting a range of maturity dates, the earliest date when the outstanding debt instruments are required to be repaid. May be presented in a variety of ways (for example: year only, month and year, day, month and year, and number of years).

+ References

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	us-types:dateStringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of outstanding principal due under the debt instrument at the end of the reporting period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 22
-Article 5

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name FASB Staff Position (FSP)
-Number APB14-1
-Paragraph 31
-Subparagraph b

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of unused borrowing capacity under the long-term financing arrangement that is available to the entity as of the balance-sheet date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 22
-Subparagraph b
-Article 5

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Maximum borrowing capacity under the credit facility without consideration of any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed or the amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 129
-Paragraph 2, 4

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 19, 22
-Article 5

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant