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Label Element Value
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Registrant Name dei_EntityRegistrantName iShares Trust
Prospectus Date rr_ProspectusDate Sep. 01, 2011
iShares Cohen & Steers Realty Majors Index Fund | iShares Cohen & Steers Realty Majors Index Fund
 
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Management Fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.35%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets none
Other Expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets none
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 0.35%
1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 36
3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 113
5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 197
10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 443
Annual Return 2002 rr_AnnualReturn2002 2.98% [1]
Annual Return 2003 rr_AnnualReturn2003 36.79% [1]
Annual Return 2004 rr_AnnualReturn2004 35.22% [1]
Annual Return 2005 rr_AnnualReturn2005 14.13% [1]
Annual Return 2006 rr_AnnualReturn2006 39.03% [1]
Annual Return 2007 rr_AnnualReturn2007 (18.32%) [1]
Annual Return 2008 rr_AnnualReturn2008 (40.89%) [1]
Annual Return 2009 rr_AnnualReturn2009 25.12% [1]
Annual Return 2010 rr_AnnualReturn2010 29.11% [1]
Year to Date Return, Label rr_YearToDateReturnLabel The Fund's total return for the six months ended
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return, Date rr_BarChartYearToDateReturnDate Jun. 30, 2011
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return rr_BarChartYearToDateReturn 11.93%
Highest Quarterly Return, Label rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel best
Highest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate Sep. 30, 2009
Highest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn 35.77%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel worst
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate Dec. 31, 2008
Lowest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn (40.95%)
One Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 29.11%
Five Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 1.64%
Since Fund Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 10.21%
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Jan. 29, 2001
iShares Cohen & Steers Realty Majors Index Fund | iShares Cohen & Steers Realty Majors Index Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions
 
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
One Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 27.71% [2]
Five Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 0.38% [2]
Since Fund Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 8.60% [2]
iShares Cohen & Steers Realty Majors Index Fund | iShares Cohen & Steers Realty Majors Index Fund | Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
 
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
One Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 18.85% [2]
Five Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 0.64% [2]
Since Fund Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 7.98% [2]
iShares Cohen & Steers Realty Majors Index Fund
 
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk/Return [Heading] rr_RiskReturnHeading
Objective [Heading] rr_ObjectiveHeading Investment Objective
Objective, Primary [Text Block] rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock
Expense [Heading] rr_ExpenseHeading
Expense Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock
Operating Expenses Caption [Text] rr_OperatingExpensesCaption
Portfolio Turnover [Heading] rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading Portfolio Turnover.
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block] rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 9% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate 9.00%
Expense Exchange Traded Fund Commissions [Text] rr_ExpenseExchangeTradedFundCommissions You may also incur usual and customary brokerage commissions when buying or selling shares of the Fund, which are not reflected in the example that follows:
Expense Example [Heading] rr_ExpenseExampleHeading Example.
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of owning shares of the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
Strategy [Heading] rr_StrategyHeading
Strategy Narrative [Text Block] rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock
Strategy Portfolio Concentration [Text] rr_StrategyPortfolioConcentration
Risk [Heading] rr_RiskHeading
Risk Narrative [Text Block] rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock
Risk Lose Money [Text] rr_RiskLoseMoney As with any investment, you could lose all or part of your investment in the Fund, and the Fund's performance could trail that of other investments.
Risk Nondiversified Status [Text] rr_RiskNondiversifiedStatus
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading] rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading
Performance Narrative [Text Block] rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text] rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns The bar chart and table that follow show how the Fund has performed on a calendar year basis and provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund.
Performance Availability Phone [Text] rr_PerformanceAvailabilityPhone 1-800-iShares (1-800-474-2737) (toll free)
Performance Availability Website Address [Text] rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress www.iShares.com
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text] rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture Past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.
Bar Chart [Heading] rr_BarChartHeading
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block] rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock
Performance Table Heading rr_PerformanceTableHeading
Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate After-tax returns in the table above are calculated using the historical highest individual U.S. federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state or local taxes.
Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to tax-exempt investors or investors who hold shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts ("IRAs").
Performance Table Explanation after Tax Higher rr_PerformanceTableExplanationAfterTaxHigher Fund returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares are calculated assuming that an investor has sufficient capital gains of the same character from other investments to offset any capital losses from the sale of Fund shares. As a result, Fund returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares may exceed Fund returns before taxes and/or returns after taxes on distributions.
iShares Cohen & Steers Realty Majors Index Fund | Cohen & Steers Realty Majors Index (Index returns do not reflect deductions for fees, expenses, or taxes)
 
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
One Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 29.58%
Five Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 1.86%
Since Fund Inception rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 10.61%
[1] The Fund's total return for the six months ended June 30, 2011 was 11.93%.
[2] After-tax returns in the table above are calculated using the historical highest individual U.S. federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state or local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to tax-exempt investors or investors who hold shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts ("IRAs"). Fund returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares are calculated assuming that an investor has sufficient capital gains of the same character from other investments to offset any capital losses from the sale of Fund shares. As a result, Fund returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares may exceed Fund returns before taxes and/or returns after taxes on distributions.