Indebtedness and Derivative Financial Instruments (Details) $ in Thousands, € in Millions			1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jul. 25, 2016 USD ($) property	Jan. 01, 2016 USD ($) property	Feb. 29, 2016 property	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) property item	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) property item	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) property	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Nov. 23, 2016 USD ($)	May 13, 2016 EUR (€)	May 13, 2016 USD ($)	Apr. 06, 2016 USD ($)	Apr. 05, 2016 USD ($)	Jan. 13, 2016 USD ($)
Debt
Debt issuance costs				$ 97,836	$ 97,836	$ 85,491
Total Mortgages and Unsecured Indebtedness				22,977,104	22,977,104	22,416,682
Loss on debt extinguishment					136,777	120,953	$ 127,573
Fixed-Rate Debt:
Fixed-rate mortgages and unsecured indebtedness				22,083,330	22,083,330	20,330,537
Variable-Rate Debt:
Variable-rate mortgages and unsecured indebtedness				893,774	893,774	2,086,145
Simon Property Group L.P.
Debt
Total Mortgages and Unsecured Indebtedness				22,977,104	22,977,104	22,416,682
Loss on debt extinguishment					136,777	120,953	$ 127,573
Senior unsecured notes | Simon Property Group L.P.
Debt
Number of properties unencumbered | property			3
Senior Unsecured Notes 1.25% due 2025 | Simon Property Group L.P.
Debt
Debt issued									€ 500.0	$ 566,700
Interest rate on debt (as a percent)									1.25%	1.25%
Senior Unsecured Notes 2.35% due 2022 | Simon Property Group L.P.
Debt
Debt issued								$ 550,000
Interest rate on debt (as a percent)								2.35%
Senior Unsecured Notes 3.25% due 2026 | Simon Property Group L.P.
Debt
Debt issued								$ 750,000
Interest rate on debt (as a percent)								3.25%
Senior Unsecured Notes 4.25% due 2046 | Simon Property Group L.P.
Debt
Debt issued								$ 550,000
Interest rate on debt (as a percent)								4.25%
Senior Unsecured Notes 2.80% to 6.10% | Simon Property Group L.P.
Debt
Amount of debt redeemed				$ 1,200,000	$ 1,200,000
Senior Unsecured Notes 2.80% to 6.10% | Minimum | Simon Property Group L.P.
Debt
Interest rate on debt (as a percent)				2.80%	2.80%
Senior Unsecured Notes 2.80% to 6.10% | Maximum | Simon Property Group L.P.
Debt
Interest rate on debt (as a percent)				6.10%	6.10%
Senior Unsecured Notes 10.35% | Simon Property Group L.P.
Debt
Amount of debt redeemed				$ 650,000	$ 650,000
Interest rate on debt (as a percent)				10.35%	10.35%
Loss on debt extinguishment				$ 136,800
Secured Debt | Fixed Rate Mortgages
Debt
Debt issuance costs				15,965	$ 15,965	11,225
Fixed-Rate Debt:
Fixed-rate mortgages and unsecured indebtedness				5,876,831	5,876,831	5,974,202
Net premiums				$ 21,916	$ 21,916	44,594
Weighted-average interest rate, fixed-rate debt (as a percent)				4.15%	4.15%
Weighted average maturity period, fixed-rate debt					7 years
Secured Debt | Variable Rate Mortgages
Debt
Debt issuance costs				$ 690	$ 690	913
Variable-Rate Debt:
Variable-rate mortgages and unsecured indebtedness				$ 592,655	$ 592,655	629,087
Weighted average interest rate, variable-rate debt (as a percent)				2.10%	2.10%
Weighted average maturity period, variable-rate debt					2 years 9 months 18 days
Secured Debt | Mortgage
Debt
Total Mortgages and Unsecured Indebtedness				$ 6,500,000	$ 6,500,000	6,600,000
Debt repaid					$ 638,900
Weighted interest rate of debt repaid (as a percent)					7.03%
Number of unencumbered properties released on repayment of debt | property					6
Debt covenants
Number of non-recourse mortgage notes under which the Company and subsidiaries are borrowers | item					45
Number of properties secured by non-recourse mortgage notes | property				48	48
Number of cross-defaulted and cross-collateralized mortgage pools | item				2	2
Total number of properties pledged as collateral for cross defaulted and cross collateralized mortgages | property				5	5
Unsecured Debt | Senior unsecured notes
Debt
Debt issuance costs				$ 65,801	$ 65,801	52,749
Fixed-Rate Debt:
Fixed-rate mortgages and unsecured indebtedness				15,252,834	15,252,834	13,477,678
Net discounts				$ 46,426	$ 46,426	44,698
Weighted-average interest rate, fixed-rate debt (as a percent)				3.37%	3.37%
Weighted average maturity period, fixed-rate debt					8 years 2 months 12 days
Unsecured Debt | Senior unsecured notes | Simon Property Group L.P.
Debt
Total Mortgages and Unsecured Indebtedness				$ 15,400,000	$ 15,400,000
Unsecured Debt | Senior Unsecured Notes 2.50% due 2021 | Simon Property Group L.P.
Debt
Debt issued													$ 550,000
Interest rate on debt (as a percent)													2.50%
Unsecured Debt | Senior Unsecured Notes 3.30% due 2026 | Simon Property Group L.P.
Debt
Debt issued													$ 800,000
Interest rate on debt (as a percent)													3.30%
Unsecured Debt | Commercial Paper
Fixed-Rate Debt:
Fixed-rate mortgages and unsecured indebtedness				953,665	953,665	878,657
Unsecured Debt | Commercial Paper | Simon Property Group L.P.
Debt
Credit facility, amount outstanding				953,700	953,700
Maximum borrowing capacity				1,000,000	1,000,000
Unsecured Debt | Commercial Paper | Simon Property Group L.P. | Euro
Debt
Credit facility, amount outstanding				$ 79,300	$ 79,300
Weighted average interest rate (as a percent)				(0.25%)	(0.25%)
Unsecured Debt | Commercial Paper | Simon Property Group L.P. | USD
Debt
Credit facility, amount outstanding				$ 874,400	$ 874,400
Weighted average interest rate (as a percent)				0.83%	0.83%
Unsecured Debt | Credit Facility and the Supplemental Facility | Simon Property Group L.P.
Debt
Available borrowing capacity				$ 6,200,000	$ 6,200,000
Maximum amount outstanding during period					1,500,000
Credit facility, weighted average amount outstanding					596,400
Letters of credit outstanding				18,800	18,800
Unsecured Debt | Credit Facility
Debt
Debt issuance costs				15,380	15,380	20,558
Variable-Rate Debt:
Variable-rate mortgages and unsecured indebtedness				301,119	301,119	1,217,104
Unsecured Debt | Credit Facility | Simon Property Group L.P.
Debt
Maximum borrowing capacity				4,000,000	4,000,000
Optional expanded maximum borrowing capacity				5,000,000	$ 5,000,000
Additional facility fee (as a percent)					0.10%
Unsecured Debt | Credit Facility | Simon Property Group L.P. | LIBOR
Debt
Interest added to reference rate (as a percent)					0.80%
Unsecured Debt | Credit Facility | Simon Property Group L.P. | Yen
Debt
Credit facility, amount outstanding				191,500	$ 191,500
Unsecured Debt | Credit Facility | Maximum | Simon Property Group L.P.
Debt
Percentage of borrowings in currencies other than the U.S. dollar					0.75%
Unsecured Debt | Supplemental Facility | Simon Property Group L.P.
Debt
Credit facility, amount outstanding				316,500	$ 316,500
Maximum borrowing capacity				3,500,000	$ 3,500,000							$ 2,750,000
Unsecured Debt | Amended Supplemental Facility | Simon Property Group L.P.
Debt
Maximum borrowing capacity											$ 3,500,000
Additional facility fee (as a percent)					0.10%
Expanded maximum borrowing capacity					$ 4,250,000
Accordion feature to increase borrowing capacity from $2.75 billion to $3.50 billion											750,000
Accordion feature to increase borrowing capacity from $3.50 billion to $4.25 billion											$ 750,000
Unsecured Debt | Amended Supplemental Facility | Simon Property Group L.P. | LIBOR
Debt
Interest added to reference rate (as a percent)					0.80%
Unsecured Debt | Term loan
Debt
Debt issuance costs				$ 0	$ 0	46
Variable-Rate Debt:
Variable-rate mortgages and unsecured indebtedness						$ 239,954
Unsecured Debt | Term loan | Simon Property Group L.P.
Debt
Debt repaid					$ 240,000
Outlet Centers In Italy
Debt
Ownership interests acquired (as a percent)	33.00%
Debt covenants
Number of consolidated properties under step acquisition | property	2
Designer Outlet properties | European Joint Venture
Debt covenants
Number of properties secured by non-recourse mortgage notes | property		6				6
Designer Outlet properties | European Joint Venture
Debt covenants
Number of consolidated properties under step acquisition | property		2
Europe | Parndorf Designer Outlet
Debt
Mortgage debt assumed		$ 100,600
Interest rate on debt (as a percent)		1.90%
Europe | Roermond Designer Outlet
Debt
Mortgage debt assumed		$ 196,800
Interest rate on debt (as a percent)		1.88%
Europe | La Reggia Designer Outlet
Debt
Mortgage debt assumed	$ 62,100
Interest rate on debt (as a percent)	1.13%
Europe | Venice Designer Outlet
Debt
Mortgage debt assumed	$ 89,000
Interest rate on debt (as a percent)	1.68%
Europe | Designer Outlet properties
Debt covenants
Number of properties secured by non-recourse mortgage notes | property				6	6