Note 3 - Commitments, Contingencies, and Guarantees (Details Textual)	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Pittsburgh Corning Corporation PCC [Member] \| PPG Industries, Inc. [Member]
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage		50.00%	50.00%
Pittsburgh Corning Corporation PCC [Member]
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage		50.00%	50.00%
PCC and PCE [Member]
Gain (Loss) on Investments	$ 56,000,000
Asbestos Litigation [Member] \| Amended Pittsburgh Corning Corporation Plan [Member]
Loss Contingency, Estimate of Possible Loss		$ 290,000,000	$ 290,000,000	$ 528,000,000
Asbestos Litigation [Member] \| Amended Pittsburgh Corning Corporation Plan [Member]
Loss Contingency Accrual, Period Increase (Decrease)		(238,000,000)
Loss Contingency, Accrual, Noncurrent		220,000,000	220,000,000
Loss Contingency, Accrual, Current		70,000,000	70,000,000
Asbestos Litigation [Member] \| Non-PCC Asbestos Litigation [Member]
Loss Contingency, Accrual, Noncurrent		150,000,000	$ 150,000,000
Undiscounted Projection of Claims and Related Legal Fees, Period			20 years
Contingent Guarantees [Member]
Guarantor Obligations, Maximum Exposure, Undiscounted		201,000,000	$ 201,000,000	184,000,000
Environmental Cleanup and Related Litigation [Member]
Accrual for Environmental Loss Contingencies		45,000,000	45,000,000	37,000,000
Loss Contingency, Accrual, Noncurrent		394,000,000	394,000,000	440,000,000
Loss Contingency, Accrual, Current		73,000,000	73,000,000	238,000,000
Recorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation		$ 255,000,000	$ 255,000,000	$ 220,000,000
Number of Hazardous Waste Sites		17	17

The number of active hazardous waste sites for which the entity is responsible.

No definition available.

Name:	glw_NumberOfHazardousWasteSites
Namespace Prefix:	glw_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Period of undiscounted projection of claims and related legal fees represented by the estimated liability.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	glw_UndiscountedProjectionOfClaimsAndRelatedLegalFeesPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	glw_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Total costs accrued as of the balance sheet date for environmental loss contingencies.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 450
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25496072&loc=d3e14326-108349

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 410
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 7
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6393242&loc=d3e13207-110859

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 450
-SubTopic 20
-Section 25
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6395460&loc=d3e13647-108346

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AccrualForEnvironmentalLossContingencies
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The percentage of ownership of common stock or equity participation in the investee accounted for under the equity method of accounting.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 323
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (a)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66011266&loc=d3e33918-111571

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This item represents the net total realized and unrealized gain (loss) included in earnings for the period as a result of selling or holding marketable securities categorized as trading, available-for-sale, or held-to-maturity, including the unrealized holding gain (loss) of held-to-maturity securities transferred to the trading security category and the cumulative unrealized gain (loss) which was included in other comprehensive income (a separate component of shareholders' equity) for available-for-sale securities transferred to trading securities during the period. Additionally, this item would include any gains (losses) realized during the period from the sale of investments accounted for under the cost method of accounting and losses recognized for other than temporary impairments (OTTI) of the subject investments.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 9
-Subparagraph (c)-(e)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=73527792&loc=d3e27357-111563

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 28
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66902209&loc=d3e3602-108585

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 225
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.7(c),9(a))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=63488584&loc=d3e20235-122688

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 10
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=73527792&loc=d3e27405-111563

+ Details

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

- Definition

Maximum potential amount of future payments (undiscounted) the guarantor could be required to make under the guarantee or each group of similar guarantees before reduction for potential recoveries under recourse or collateralization provisions.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 460
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (b)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6851643&loc=d3e12069-110248

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsMaximumExposure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of loss contingency liability expected to be resolved within one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LossContingencyAccrualCarryingValueCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of loss contingency liability expected to be resolved after one year or beyond the normal operating cycle, if longer.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LossContingencyAccrualCarryingValueNoncurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of increase (decrease) in loss contingency liability.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LossContingencyAccrualCarryingValuePeriodIncreaseDecrease
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Reflects the estimated amount of loss from the specified contingency as of the balance sheet date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 450
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25496072&loc=d3e14435-108349

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 450
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 9
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25496072&loc=d3e14557-108349

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LossContingencyEstimateOfPossibleLoss
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of the recorded obligation to transfer funds in the future for fixed or minimum amounts or quantities of goods or services at fixed or minimum prices (for example, as in take-or-pay contracts or throughput contracts).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 440
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=73718637&loc=d3e25383-109308

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_RecordedUnconditionalPurchaseObligation
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis=glw_PittsburghCorningCorporationPCCMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=glw_PPGIndustriesIncMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis=glw_PCCAndPCEMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis=glw_AsbestosLitigationMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RestructuringPlanAxis=glw_AmendedPittsburghCorningCorporationPlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis=glw_AmendedPittsburghCorningCorporationPlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis=glw_NonPCCAsbestosLitigationMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis=glw_ContingentGuaranteesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationContingencyAxis=glw_EnvironmentalCleanupAndRelatedLitigationMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: