Investment in Securities (Maturities of Securities) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Jun. 30, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)	[1],[2]	$ 1,757,513	$ 2,087,360
Amortized Cost		$ 1,731,681	$ 1,975,520
Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		1.65%	3.52%
Long
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 1,757,513	$ 2,087,360
Amortized Cost		$ 1,914,806	$ 2,095,765
Long | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		1.65%	3.37%
Long | Agency RMBS
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 1,310,605	$ 1,663,328
Amortized Cost		$ 1,433,107	$ 1,671,020
Long | Agency RMBS | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		2.92%	2.95%
Long | Agency RMBS | Less than three years [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 33,488	$ 45,956
Amortized Cost		$ 34,931	$ 45,678
Long | Agency RMBS | Less than three years [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		3.56%	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)		$ 319,241	$ 950,723
Amortized Cost		$ 342,249	$ 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		3.02%	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)		$ 954,181	$ 665,617
Amortized Cost		$ 1,051,744	$ 669,147
Long | Agency RMBS | Greater than seven years less than eleven [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		2.88%	2.46%
Long | Agency RMBS | Greater than eleven year [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 3,695	$ 1,032
Amortized Cost		$ 4,183	$ 1,038
Long | Agency RMBS | Greater than eleven year [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		2.54%	1.99%
Long | Agency RMBS | Interest only securities
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 24,773	$ 33,288
Amortized Cost		$ 25,575	$ 32,607
Long | Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		1.64%	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)		$ 3,041	$ 8,981
Amortized Cost		$ 3,409	$ 8,466
Long | Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Less than three years [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		1.14%	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)		$ 17,537	$ 22,497
Amortized Cost		$ 18,683	$ 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		1.98%	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)		$ 3,883	$ 1,810
Amortized Cost		$ 3,158	$ 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		1.42%	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)		$ 312	$ 0
Amortized Cost		$ 325	$ 0
Long | Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Greater than eleven year [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		0.69%	0.00%
Long | Non-Agency RMBS and CMBS
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 242,350	$ 224,485
Amortized Cost		$ 258,938	$ 220,050
Long | Non-Agency RMBS and CMBS | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		3.36%	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)		$ 81,220	$ 96,277
Amortized Cost		$ 82,707	$ 92,396
Long | Non-Agency RMBS and CMBS | Less than three years [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		3.90%	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)		$ 67,445	$ 93,787
Amortized Cost		$ 69,842	$ 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		2.96%	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)		$ 67,527	$ 26,639
Amortized Cost		$ 74,627	$ 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		3.80%	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)		$ 26,158	$ 7,782
Amortized Cost		$ 31,762	$ 8,539
Long | Non-Agency RMBS and CMBS | Greater than eleven year [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		2.45%	0.34%
Long | Non-Agency RMBS
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 218,212	$ 201,605
Amortized Cost		$ 230,681	$ 196,747
Long | Non-Agency RMBS | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		3.48%	4.17%
Long | Non-Agency RMBS | Interest only securities
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 29,701	$ 17,712
Amortized Cost		$ 25,375	$ 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)		$ 1,924	$ 6,360
Amortized Cost		$ 1,163	$ 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		1.03%	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)		$ 676	$ 2,187
Amortized Cost		$ 710	$ 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		1.35%	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)		$ 27,101	$ 9,165
Amortized Cost		$ 23,502	$ 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		0.21%	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)		$ 139,808	$ 140,991
Amortized Cost		$ 161,939	$ 149,599
Long | CLOs And Other Securities [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		5.20%	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)		$ 96,718	$ 110,953
Amortized Cost		$ 106,493	$ 114,392
Long | CLOs And Other Securities [Member] | Less than three years [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		6.29%	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)		$ 43,090	$ 30,038
Amortized Cost		$ 55,446	$ 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		2.14%	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.