Investment in Securities (Maturities of Securities) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Sep. 30, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)	[1],[2]	$ 1,522,772	$ 2,087,360
Amortized Cost		$ 1,510,819	$ 1,975,520
Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		1.66%	3.52%
Long
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 1,522,772	$ 2,087,360
Amortized Cost		$ 1,725,791	$ 2,095,765
Long | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		1.67%	3.37%
Long | Agency RMBS
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 1,115,790	$ 1,663,328
Amortized Cost		$ 1,270,007	$ 1,671,020
Long | Agency RMBS | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		3.22%	2.95%
Long | Agency RMBS | Less than three years [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 21,155	$ 45,956
Amortized Cost		$ 22,926	$ 45,678
Long | Agency RMBS | Less than three years [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		3.60%	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)		$ 220,121	$ 950,723
Amortized Cost		$ 246,931	$ 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		3.13%	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)		$ 869,360	$ 665,617
Amortized Cost		$ 993,984	$ 669,147
Long | Agency RMBS | Greater than seven years less than eleven [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		3.23%	2.46%
Long | Agency RMBS | Greater than eleven year [Member]
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 5,154	$ 1,032
Amortized Cost		$ 6,166	$ 1,038
Long | Agency RMBS | Greater than eleven year [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		2.69%	1.99%
Long | Agency RMBS | Interest only securities
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 19,525	$ 33,288
Amortized Cost		$ 20,101	$ 32,607
Long | Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		1.53%	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)		$ 2,456	$ 8,981
Amortized Cost		$ 2,906	$ 8,466
Long | Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Less than three years [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		0.98%	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)		$ 11,713	$ 22,497
Amortized Cost		$ 12,321	$ 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		1.72%	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)		$ 5,073	$ 1,810
Amortized Cost		$ 4,555	$ 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		2.51%	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)		$ 283	$ 0
Amortized Cost		$ 319	$ 0
Long | Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Greater than eleven year [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		0.68%	0.00%
Long | Non-Agency RMBS and CMBS
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 208,976	$ 224,485
Amortized Cost		$ 234,673	$ 220,050
Long | Non-Agency RMBS and CMBS | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		3.72%	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)		$ 67,934	$ 96,277
Amortized Cost		$ 72,559	$ 92,396
Long | Non-Agency RMBS and CMBS | Less than three years [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		3.57%	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)		$ 55,935	$ 93,787
Amortized Cost		$ 58,953	$ 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		4.17%	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)		$ 57,705	$ 26,639
Amortized Cost		$ 69,132	$ 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		3.98%	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)		$ 27,402	$ 7,782
Amortized Cost		$ 34,029	$ 8,539
Long | Non-Agency RMBS and CMBS | Greater than eleven year [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		3.02%	0.34%
Long | Non-Agency RMBS
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 193,299	$ 201,605
Amortized Cost		$ 213,597	$ 196,747
Long | Non-Agency RMBS | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		3.85%	4.17%
Long | Non-Agency RMBS | Interest only securities
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 27,124	$ 17,712
Amortized Cost		$ 23,450	$ 16,701
Long | Non-Agency RMBS | Interest only securities | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		0.20%	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)		$ 1,615	$ 6,360
Amortized Cost		$ 1,107	$ 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		1.64%	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)		$ 3,913	$ 2,187
Amortized Cost		$ 4,366	$ 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		1.47%	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)		$ 21,596	$ 9,165
Amortized Cost		$ 17,977	$ 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		0.17%	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)		$ 140,188	$ 140,991
Amortized Cost		$ 166,982	$ 149,599
Long | CLOs And Other Securities [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		4.95%	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)		$ 94,901	$ 110,953
Amortized Cost		$ 109,256	$ 114,392
Long | CLOs And Other Securities [Member] | Less than three years [Member] | Weighted Average
Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Weighted Average Coupon		6.24%	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)		$ 45,287	$ 30,038
Amortized Cost		$ 57,726	$ 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		2.20%	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.