Operating Segments (Financial Results for the Company's Operating Segments) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2011		Jun. 30, 2010		Jun. 30, 2011		Jun. 30, 2010
Site rental	$ 457,103,000		$ 409,631,000		$ 913,299,000		$ 816,503,000
Network services and other	43,233,000		46,496,000		86,076,000		83,951,000
Net revenues	500,336,000		456,127,000		999,375,000		900,454,000
Site rental	121,143,000	[1]	115,465,000	[1]	239,558,000	[1]	229,220,000	[1]
Network services and other	25,906,000	[1]	29,927,000	[1]	53,130,000	[1]	56,223,000	[1]
General and administrative	41,259,000		40,556,000		86,003,000		80,029,000
Asset write-down charges	6,205,000		2,597,000		10,606,000		4,159,000
Acquisition and integration costs	490,000		272,000		1,044,000		272,000
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	138,191,000		134,426,000		275,464,000		267,294,000
Total operating expenses	333,194,000		323,243,000		665,805,000		637,197,000
Operating income (loss)	167,142,000		132,884,000		333,570,000		263,257,000
Interest expense and amortization of deferred financing costs	(126,483,000)		(120,345,000)		(253,169,000)		(241,126,000)
Gains (losses) on purchases and redemptions of debt	0		0		0		(66,434,000)
Net gain (loss) on interest rate swaps	0		(114,598,000)		0		(187,874,000)
Interest and other income (expense)	(3,890,000)		(241,000)		(4,325,000)		138,000
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	(5,755,000)		4,686,000		(4,938,000)		15,025,000
Net income (loss)	31,014,000		(97,614,000)		71,138,000		(217,014,000)
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to the noncontrolling interest	143,000		(85,000)		250,000		(210,000)
Net income (loss) attributable to CCIC stockholders	30,871,000		(97,529,000)		70,888,000		(216,804,000)
Capital expenditures	64,040,000		54,902,000		116,690,000		91,765,000
CCUSA [Member]
Site rental	429,454,000		387,970,000		860,097,000		772,011,000
Network services and other	40,017,000		44,274,000		77,681,000		79,121,000
Net revenues	469,471,000		432,244,000		937,778,000		851,132,000
Site rental	112,153,000	[1]	108,671,000	[1]	222,578,000	[1]	215,694,000	[1]
Network services and other	23,576,000	[1]	28,511,000	[1]	47,533,000	[1]	52,792,000	[1]
General and administrative	36,702,000		36,875,000		76,299,000		71,840,000
Asset write-down charges	5,930,000		2,574,000		10,287,000		4,136,000
Acquisition and integration costs	490,000		272,000		1,044,000		272,000
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	130,488,000		127,557,000		260,464,000		253,249,000
Total operating expenses	309,339,000		304,460,000		618,205,000		597,983,000
Operating income (loss)	160,132,000		127,784,000		319,573,000		253,149,000
Interest expense and amortization of deferred financing costs	(126,484,000)		(120,058,000)		(252,845,000)		(240,330,000)
Gains (losses) on purchases and redemptions of debt	0		0		0		(66,434,000)
Net gain (loss) on interest rate swaps	0		(114,598,000)		0		(187,874,000)
Interest and other income (expense)	1,787,000		4,394,000		6,870,000		9,279,000
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	(5,184,000)		5,145,000		(3,815,000)		15,929,000
Net income (loss)	30,251,000		(97,333,000)		69,783,000		(216,281,000)
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to the noncontrolling interest	0		0		0		0
Net income (loss) attributable to CCIC stockholders	30,251,000		(97,333,000)		69,783,000		(216,281,000)
Capital expenditures	61,080,000		52,417,000		112,326,000		87,452,000
CCAL [Member]
Site rental	27,649,000		21,661,000		53,202,000		44,492,000
Network services and other	3,216,000		2,222,000		8,395,000		4,830,000
Net revenues	30,865,000		23,883,000		61,597,000		49,322,000
Site rental	8,990,000	[1]	6,794,000	[1]	16,980,000	[1]	13,526,000	[1]
Network services and other	2,330,000	[1]	1,416,000	[1]	5,597,000	[1]	3,431,000	[1]
General and administrative	4,557,000		3,681,000		9,704,000		8,189,000
Asset write-down charges	275,000		23,000		319,000		23,000
Acquisition and integration costs	0		0		0		0
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	7,703,000		6,869,000		15,000,000		14,045,000
Total operating expenses	23,855,000		18,783,000		47,600,000		39,214,000
Operating income (loss)	7,010,000		5,100,000		13,997,000		10,108,000
Interest expense and amortization of deferred financing costs	(5,816,000)		(4,967,000)		(11,758,000)		(10,012,000)
Gains (losses) on purchases and redemptions of debt	0		0		0		0
Net gain (loss) on interest rate swaps	0		0		0		0
Interest and other income (expense)	140,000		45,000		239,000		75,000
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	(571,000)		(459,000)		(1,123,000)		(904,000)
Net income (loss)	763,000		(281,000)		1,355,000		(733,000)
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to the noncontrolling interest	143,000		(85,000)		250,000		(210,000)
Net income (loss) attributable to CCIC stockholders	620,000		(196,000)		1,105,000		(523,000)
Capital expenditures	2,960,000		2,485,000		4,364,000		4,313,000
Elimination [Member]
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	5,817,000		4,680,000		11,434,000		9,216,000
Gains (losses) on purchases and redemptions of debt	0		0		0		0
Net gain (loss) on interest rate swaps	0		0		0		0
Interest and other income (expense)	(5,817,000)		(4,680,000)		(11,434,000)		(9,216,000)
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.