Capital Stock (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2022	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2022	Jun. 30, 2021	Dec. 31, 2021
Capital Stock [Abstract]
Percent of stock owned by active and retired employees			100.00%
Percent of shares held in voting trust	83.00%		83.00%
Common stock stated value per share	$ 20.00		$ 20.00		$ 20.00
Cash dividends	$ 6.9	$ 6.8	$ 13.9	$ 13.7
Preferred stock shares authorized	10,000,000		10,000,000
Preferred stock par or stated value per share (USD per share)	$ 0.01		$ 0.01
Preferred stock outstanding (in shares)	0		0		0

The percentage of common stock held in the Voting Trust

No definition available.

Name:	graybar_StockholdersEquityNotePercentofEntityHeldinVotingTrust
Namespace Prefix:	graybar_
Data Type:	dtr-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Stockholders' Equity Note, Percent of Entity Owned by Current and Retired Employees

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	graybar_StockholdersEquityNotePercentofEntityOwnedbyCurrentandRetiredEmployees
Namespace Prefix:	graybar_
Data Type:	dtr-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Face amount or stated value per share of common stock.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CommonStockParOrStatedValuePerShare
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	dtr-types:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquityAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of cash outflow in the form of ordinary dividends to common shareholders of the parent entity.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 15
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123570139&loc=d3e3291-108585

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PaymentsOfDividendsCommonStock
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Face amount or stated value per share of preferred stock nonredeemable or redeemable solely at the option of the issuer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(28))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120391452&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123467817&loc=SL123496158-112644

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PreferredStockParOrStatedValuePerShare
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	dtr-types:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The maximum number of nonredeemable preferred shares (or preferred stock redeemable solely at the option of the issuer) permitted to be issued by an entity's charter and bylaws.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PreferredStockSharesAuthorized
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Aggregate share number for all nonredeemable preferred stock (or preferred stock redeemable solely at the option of the issuer) held by stockholders. Does not include preferred shares that have been repurchased.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PreferredStockSharesOutstanding
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant