Stock Options, Stock Appreciation Rights and Restricted Shares (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended		0 Months Ended			3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013 Plan	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013 Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs) [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Restricted Share [Member]		Sep. 30, 2012 Restricted Share [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Restricted Share [Member]		Jun. 30, 2013 Common Stock Options and Stock Appreciation Rights [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Common Stock Options and Stock Appreciation Rights [Member]		Sep. 30, 2013 Common Stock Options and Stock Appreciation Rights [Member]		Sep. 30, 2013 Time Based Awards [Member]		Sep. 30, 2013 Time Based Awards [Member]		Sep. 30, 2013 Performance Based Awards [Member]		Sep. 30, 2013 Performance Based Awards [Member]		Sep. 30, 2013 Outside Director Awards [Member]		Sep. 30, 2013 Outside Director Awards [Member]		Sep. 30, 2013 Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member] Minimum [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member] Maximum [Member]
Stock Options, Stock Appreciation Rights and Restricted Shares [Abstract]
Number of equity incentive plan	2
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares available for issuances (in shares)	556,000		556,000
Number of stocks outstanding to purchase to purchase common stock (in shares)	1,087,023		1,087,023		6,195
Number [Roll Forward]
Granted (in shares)														0
Exercised (in shares)					(1,066)									(191,689)
Forfeited (in shares)														(32,728)
Outstanding, Ending Balance (in shares)												1,318,701		1,093,218
Outstanding and expected to vest (in shares)														1,093,218
Options exercisable (in shares)														1,093,218
Weighted average exercise price [Abstract]
Outstanding, Ending Balance (in dollars per share)												$ 23.36		$ 25.20
Outstanding and expected to vest (in dollars per share)														$ 25.20
Options exercisable (in dollars per share)														$ 25.20
Weighted average contractual remaining term [Abstract]
Outstanding, beginning of period											2 years 7 months 2 days	3 years 1 month 20 days
Outstanding, end of period											2 years 7 months 2 days	3 years 1 month 20 days
Outstanding and expected to vest											2 years 7 months 2 days
Options exercisable											2 years 7 months 2 days
Aggregate intrinsic value [Abstract]
Outstanding, end of period												$ 2,203,000	[1]	$ 5,528,000	[2]
Outstanding and expected to vest														5,528,000	[2]
Options exercisable														5,528,000	[2]
Quoted closing price of common stock (in dollars per share)												$ 18.84		$ 29.56
Number of awards used in aggregate intrinsic value (in shares)												331,571		758,719
Number of award option vested with no intrinsic value (in shares)														33,000
Average exercise price of option awards with no intrinsic value (in dollars per share)														$ 21.51
Unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested stock options granted														0
Stock option compensation expense recorded using the Black-Scholes valuation model	12,000	79,000		329,000
Number [Roll Forward]
Unvested, beginning of period (in shares)									739,909
Shares awarded (in shares)									160,595									146,425	[3]			193,189	[4]			14,170	[5]	128,018
Conversion of restricted share units to restricted share awards (in shares)									193,189
Restrictions lapsed and shares released to associates/directors (in shares)									(212,795)	[6]						0	[3]			0	[4]			(1,129)	[5]
Shares forfeited (in shares)									(53,070)									(3,225)	[3],[7]			0	[4],[7]			0	[5],[7]
Unvested, end of period (in shares)						827,828			827,828							143,200	[3]	143,200	[3]	193,189	[4]	193,189	[4]	13,041	[5]	13,041	[5]
Grant date weighted average cost [Roll Forward]
Unvested, beginning of period (in dollars per share)									$ 15.45
Shares awarded (in dollars per share)						$ 21.42
Conversion of restricted share units to restricted share awards (in dollars per share)						$ 21.51
Restrictions lapsed and shares released to associates/directors (in dollars per share)						$ 15.94	[6]
Shares forfeited (in dollars per share)									$ 15.27
Unvested, end of period (in dollars per share)						$ 19.09			$ 19.09
Shares forfeited due to failure to meet performance targets (in shares)									26,152
Shares forfeited due to employee termination and retirement									26,918
Restricted stock grants grouped by similar vesting criteria [Abstract]
Vesting Period in years																5 years	[3]			5 years	[4]			1 year	[5]
Shares awarded (in shares)									160,595									146,425	[3]			193,189	[4]			14,170	[5]	128,018
Restrictions lapsed and shares released to participants (in shares)									212,795	[6]						0	[3]			0	[4]			1,129	[5]
Shares forfeited by participants (in shares)									53,070									3,225	[3],[7]			0	[4],[7]			0	[5],[7]
Shares Unvested (in shares)						827,828			827,828							143,200	[3]	143,200	[3]	193,189	[4]	193,189	[4]	13,041	[5]	13,041	[5]
Compensation costs attributable to all restricted share awards			$ 3.0	$ 2.5		$ 1.0		$ 818,000
Restricted share units granted to the senior executive officers (in shares)									160,595									146,425	[3]			193,189	[4]			14,170	[5]	128,018
Percentage of number of restricted shares eligible for conversion (in hundredths)																													0.00%	100.00%
Percentage of incremental awards to vest (in hundredths)																												20.00%

[1] The aggregate intrinsic value is calculated as the difference between the exercise price of the underlying awards and the quoted closing price of Pinnacle Financial common stock of $18.84 per common share at December 31, 2012 for the approximately 331,571 options and stock appreciation rights that were in-the-money at December 31, 2012.

[2] The aggregate intrinsic value is calculated as the difference between the exercise price of the underlying awards and the quoted closing price of Pinnacle Financial common stock of $29.56 per common share at September 30, 2013 for the approximately 758,719 options and stock appreciation rights that were in-the-money at September 30, 2013.

[3] These shares vest in equal annual installments on the anniversary date of the grant.

[4] The forfeiture restrictions on these restricted share awards lapse in separate equal installments should Pinnacle Financial achieve certain earnings and soundness targets over each year of the subsequent vesting period (or alternatively, the cumulative vesting period).

[5] Restricted share awards are issued to the outside members of the board of directors in accordance with their board compensation plan. Restrictions lapse on the one year anniversary date of the award based on each individual board member meeting their attendance goals for the various board and board committee meetings to which each member was scheduled to attend.

[6] Represents 26,152 shares forfeited due to failure to meet performance targets and 26,918 shares forfeited due to employee termination and/or retirement.

[7] These shares represent forfeitures resulting from associate terminations during the nine months ended September 30, 2013.