Investment in Securities (Maturities of Securities) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Mar. 31, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)	[1],[2]	$ 1,877,529	$ 2,087,360
Amortized Cost		$ 1,886,759	$ 1,975,520
Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		1.77%	3.52%
Long
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 1,877,529	$ 2,087,360
Amortized Cost		$ 1,969,995	$ 2,095,765
Long | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		1.75%	3.37%
Long | Agency RMBS
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 1,475,871	$ 1,663,328
Amortized Cost		$ 1,557,278	$ 1,671,020
Long | Agency RMBS | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		2.93%	2.95%
Long | Agency RMBS | Less than three years [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 47,868	$ 45,956
Amortized Cost		$ 48,901	$ 45,678
Long | Agency RMBS | Less than three years [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		3.78%	3.99%
Long | Agency RMBS | Greater than three years less than seven years [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 497,446	$ 950,723
Amortized Cost		$ 518,055	$ 955,157
Long | Agency RMBS | Greater than three years less than seven years [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		3.35%	3.24%
Long | Agency RMBS | Greater than seven years less than eleven [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 929,602	$ 665,617
Amortized Cost		$ 989,290	$ 669,147
Long | Agency RMBS | Greater than seven years less than eleven [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		2.68%	2.46%
Long | Agency RMBS | Greater than eleven year [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 955	$ 1,032
Amortized Cost		$ 1,032	$ 1,038
Long | Agency RMBS | Greater than eleven year [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		2.00%	1.99%
Long | Agency RMBS | Interest only securities
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 26,620	$ 33,288
Amortized Cost		$ 27,508	$ 32,607
Long | Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		1.82%	3.46%
Long | Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Less than three years [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 5,089	$ 8,981
Amortized Cost		$ 5,226	$ 8,466
Long | Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Less than three years [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		1.50%	3.10%
Long | Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Greater than three years less than seven years [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 18,426	$ 22,497
Amortized Cost		$ 19,997	$ 22,379
Long | Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Greater than three years less than seven years [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		2.12%	3.76%
Long | Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Greater than seven years less than eleven [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 3,105	$ 1,810
Amortized Cost		$ 2,285	$ 1,762
Long | Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Greater than seven years less than eleven [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		1.18%	1.46%
Long | Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Greater than eleven year [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 0	$ 0
Amortized Cost		$ 0	$ 0
Long | Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Greater than eleven year [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		0.00%	0.00%
Long | Non-Agency RMBS and CMBS
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 216,732	$ 224,485
Amortized Cost		$ 220,213	$ 220,050
Long | Non-Agency RMBS and CMBS | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		2.84%	4.03%
Long | Non-Agency RMBS and CMBS | Less than three years [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 88,559	$ 96,277
Amortized Cost		$ 89,147	$ 92,396
Long | Non-Agency RMBS and CMBS | Less than three years [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		2.99%	4.31%
Long | Non-Agency RMBS and CMBS | Greater than three years less than seven years [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 54,228	$ 93,787
Amortized Cost		$ 52,533	$ 90,822
Long | Non-Agency RMBS and CMBS | Greater than three years less than seven years [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		2.41%	4.79%
Long | Non-Agency RMBS and CMBS | Greater than seven years less than eleven [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 66,751	$ 26,639
Amortized Cost		$ 70,489	$ 28,293
Long | Non-Agency RMBS and CMBS | Greater than seven years less than eleven [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		3.74%	1.80%
Long | Non-Agency RMBS and CMBS | Greater than eleven year [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 7,194	$ 7,782
Amortized Cost		$ 8,044	$ 8,539
Long | Non-Agency RMBS and CMBS | Greater than eleven year [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		0.05%	0.34%
Long | Non-Agency RMBS
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 190,416	$ 201,605
Amortized Cost		$ 192,126	$ 196,747
Long | Non-Agency RMBS | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		2.91%	4.17%
Long | Non-Agency RMBS | Interest only securities
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 24,391	$ 17,712
Amortized Cost		$ 21,508	$ 16,701
Long | Non-Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		0.22%	0.64%
Long | Non-Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Less than three years [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 8,198	$ 6,360
Amortized Cost		$ 7,549	$ 5,504
Long | Non-Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Less than three years [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		0.90%	0.85%
Long | Non-Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Greater than three years less than seven years [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 0	$ 2,187
Amortized Cost		$ 0	$ 2,141
Long | Non-Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Greater than three years less than seven years [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		0.00%	0.12%
Long | Non-Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Greater than seven years less than eleven [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 16,193	$ 9,165
Amortized Cost		$ 13,959	$ 9,056
Long | Non-Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Greater than seven years less than eleven [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		0.18%	0.63%
Long | Non-Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Greater than eleven year [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 0	$ 0
Amortized Cost		$ 0	$ 0
Long | Non-Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Greater than eleven year [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		0.00%	0.00%
Long | CLOs And Other Securities [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 124,074	$ 140,991
Amortized Cost		$ 134,586	$ 149,599
Long | CLOs And Other Securities [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		5.10%	7.55%
Long | CLOs And Other Securities [Member] | Less than three years [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 103,234	$ 110,953
Amortized Cost		$ 107,476	$ 114,392
Long | CLOs And Other Securities [Member] | Less than three years [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		6.32%	8.82%
Long | CLOs And Other Securities [Member] | Greater than three years less than seven years [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 20,840	$ 30,038
Amortized Cost		$ 27,110	$ 35,207
Long | CLOs And Other Securities [Member] | Greater than three years less than seven years [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		1.29%	3.42%
Long | CLOs And Other Securities [Member] | Greater than seven years less than eleven [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 0	$ 0
Amortized Cost		$ 0	$ 0
Long | CLOs And Other Securities [Member] | Greater than seven years less than eleven [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		0.00%	0.00%
Long | CLOs And Other Securities [Member] | Greater than eleven year [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 0	$ 0
Amortized Cost		$ 0	$ 0
Long | CLOs And Other Securities [Member] | Greater than eleven year [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		0.00%	0.00%

[1] Ellington Financial Inc.'s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet includes assets and liabilities of variable interest entities it has consolidated. See Note 9 for additional details on Ellington Financial Inc.'s consolidated variable interest entities.

[2] Includes assets pledged as collateral to counterparties. See Note 11 for additional details on the Company's borrowings and related collateral.