Salary Deferral Plans	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Compensation And Employee Benefit Plans [Abstract]
Salary Deferral Plans	Note 13. Salary Deferral Plans Pinnacle Financial has a 401(k) retirement plan (the 401k Plan) covering all employees who elect to participate, subject to certain eligibility requirements. The Plan allows employees to defer up to 50% of their salary subject to regulatory limitations with Pinnacle Financial matching 100% of the first 4% of employee self-directed contributions during 2011, 2010, and 2009. Pinnacle Financial's expense associated with the matching component of the plan(s) for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2011 was approximately $1,887,000, $1,931,000 and $1,844,000, respectively, and is included in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations in salaries and employee benefits expense. Prior to the merger with Pinnacle Financial, Cavalry maintained an employee stock ownership plan for the benefit of certain employees (the Cavalry ESOP). The Cavalry ESOP was a noncontributory retirement plan adopted by Cavalry in 1998 for the benefit of certain employees who meet minimum eligibility requirements. Cavalry was the plan sponsor and with the merger with Pinnacle Financial, Pinnacle Financial became the plan sponsor on March 15, 2006. On March 15, 2006, the Cavalry ESOP owned approximately 683,000 common shares of Pinnacle Financial. The Cavalry ESOP had no liabilities as of March 15, 2006, thus all of the Pinnacle Financial shares owned by the Cavalry ESOP were available for distribution to the participants in the Cavalry ESOP pursuant to the terms of the plan. The terms of the Cavalry ESOP did not change as a result of the merger with Pinnacle Financial. Pursuant to the terms of the Cavalry ESOP, participation in the plan has been frozen as of March 15, 2006 and all participants in the plan were fully vested prior to the merger date. All assets of the plan were allocated to the participants pursuant to the plan's provisions. Thus, Pinnacle Financial is not required to make future contributions to the Cavalry ESOP. Distributions to participants are only made upon the termination from employment from Pinnacle Financial or the participant's death, at which time distributions will be made to the participant's beneficiaries. Pinnacle National serves as the Trustee of the Cavalry ESOP. During the three-year period ended December 31, 2011, Pinnacle National assessed the Cavalry ESOP no fees as Trustee. Additionally, Pinnacle National incurred administrative expenses, primarily auditing and consulting expenses, of $10,000 to maintain the Calvary ESOP in 2009. During 2009, the Cavalry ESOP was terminated and all participant accounts were merged with and into the respective participant accounts of the Pinnacle 401k Plan. Prior to the merger with Pinnacle Financial, Cavalry had adopted nonqualified noncontributory supplemental retirement agreements (the Cavalry SRAs) for certain directors and executive officers of Cavalry. Cavalry invested in and, as a result of the Cavalry merger, Pinnacle Financial is the owner of single premium life insurance policies on the life of each participant and is the beneficiary of the policy value. When a participant retires, the accumulated gains on the policy allocated to such participant, if any, will be distributed to the participant in equal installments for 15 years (the Primary Benefit). In addition, any annual gains after the retirement date of the participant will be distributed on an annual basis for the lifetime of the participant (the Secondary Benefit). As a result of the merger with Pinnacle Financial, all participants became fully vested in the Cavalry SRAs. No new participants have been added to the Cavalry SRAs following the merger with Pinnacle Financial. The Cavalry SRAs also provide the participants with death benefits, which is a percentage of the net death proceeds for the policy, if any, applicable to the participant. The death benefits are not taxable to Pinnacle Financial or the participant's beneficiary. Pinnacle Financial recognized approximately $330,000, $63,000, and $22,000 in compensation expense in each year of the three-year period ended December 31, 2011 related to the Cavalry SRAs. During 2007, Pinnacle Financial offered a settlement to all participants in the Cavalry SRAs with eleven participants accepting the settlement. Two individuals remain as participants in the Cavalry SRAs. Additionally, Pinnacle Financial incurred approximately $4,000 in administrative expenses to maintain the Cavalry SRA during the three-year period ended December 31, 2011. At December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, included in other liabilities is $1,200,000, $994,000, and $1,042,000, respectively, which represents the net present value of the future obligations owed the two remaining participants in the Cavalry SRAs using a discount rate of 5% at December 31, 2011 and 2010.

Note 13. Salary Deferral Plans

Pinnacle Financial has a 401(k) retirement plan (the 401k Plan) covering all employees who elect to participate, subject to certain eligibility requirements. The Plan allows employees to defer up to 50% of their salary subject to regulatory limitations with Pinnacle Financial matching 100% of the first 4% of employee self-directed contributions during 2011, 2010, and 2009. Pinnacle Financial's expense associated with the matching component of the plan(s) for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2011 was approximately $1,887,000, $1,931,000 and $1,844,000, respectively, and is included in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations in salaries and employee benefits expense.

Prior to the merger with Pinnacle Financial, Cavalry maintained an employee stock ownership plan for the benefit of certain employees (the Cavalry ESOP). The Cavalry ESOP was a noncontributory retirement plan adopted by Cavalry in 1998 for the benefit of certain employees who meet minimum eligibility requirements. Cavalry was the plan sponsor and with the merger with Pinnacle Financial, Pinnacle Financial became the plan sponsor on March 15, 2006. On March 15, 2006, the Cavalry ESOP owned approximately 683,000 common shares of Pinnacle Financial. The Cavalry ESOP had no liabilities as of March 15, 2006, thus all of the Pinnacle Financial shares owned by the Cavalry ESOP were available for distribution to the participants in the Cavalry ESOP pursuant to the terms of the plan. The terms of the Cavalry ESOP did not change as a result of the merger with Pinnacle Financial.

Pursuant to the terms of the Cavalry ESOP, participation in the plan has been frozen as of March 15, 2006 and all participants in the plan were fully vested prior to the merger date. All assets of the plan were allocated to the participants pursuant to the plan's provisions. Thus, Pinnacle Financial is not required to make future contributions to the Cavalry ESOP. Distributions to participants are only made upon the termination from employment from Pinnacle Financial or the participant's death, at which time distributions will be made to the participant's beneficiaries.

Pinnacle National serves as the Trustee of the Cavalry ESOP. During the three-year period ended December 31, 2011, Pinnacle National assessed the Cavalry ESOP no fees as Trustee. Additionally, Pinnacle National incurred administrative expenses, primarily auditing and consulting expenses, of $10,000 to maintain the Calvary ESOP in 2009. During 2009, the Cavalry ESOP was terminated and all participant accounts were merged with and into the respective participant accounts of the Pinnacle 401k Plan.

Prior to the merger with Pinnacle Financial, Cavalry had adopted nonqualified noncontributory supplemental retirement agreements (the Cavalry SRAs) for certain directors and executive officers of Cavalry. Cavalry invested in and, as a result of the Cavalry merger, Pinnacle Financial is the owner of single premium life insurance policies on the life of each participant and is the beneficiary of the policy value. When a participant retires, the accumulated gains on the policy allocated to such participant, if any, will be distributed to the participant in equal installments for 15 years (the Primary Benefit). In addition, any annual gains after the retirement date of the participant will be distributed on an annual basis for the lifetime of the participant (the Secondary Benefit). As a result of the merger with Pinnacle Financial, all participants became fully vested in the Cavalry SRAs. No new participants have been added to the Cavalry SRAs following the merger with Pinnacle Financial.

The Cavalry SRAs also provide the participants with death benefits, which is a percentage of the net death proceeds for the policy, if any, applicable to the participant. The death benefits are not taxable to Pinnacle Financial or the participant's beneficiary.

Pinnacle Financial recognized approximately $330,000, $63,000, and $22,000 in compensation expense in each year of the three-year period ended December 31, 2011 related to the Cavalry SRAs. During 2007, Pinnacle Financial offered a settlement to all participants in the Cavalry SRAs with eleven participants accepting the settlement. Two individuals remain as participants in the Cavalry SRAs. Additionally, Pinnacle Financial incurred approximately $4,000 in administrative expenses to maintain the Cavalry SRA during the three-year period ended December 31, 2011. At December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, included in other liabilities is $1,200,000, $994,000, and $1,042,000, respectively, which represents the net present value of the future obligations owed the two remaining participants in the Cavalry SRAs using a discount rate of 5% at December 31, 2011 and 2010.