Note 6 - Earnings Per Common Share - Computation of Basic and Diluted Earnings per Common Share (Details) - USD ($)		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Convertible Preferred Stock, Series A [Member]
Series A convertible preferred stock dividend		$ 24,000,000	$ 24,000,000	$ 73,000,000	$ 73,000,000
Plus: Series A convertible preferred stock dividend (1)		$ 24,000,000		$ 73,000,000	$ 73,000,000
Effect of dilutive securities:
Effect of dilutive securities (in shares)	[1]	115,000,000		115,000,000	115,000,000
Stock Options and Other Dilutive Securities [Member]
Effect of dilutive securities:
Effect of dilutive securities (in shares)		9,000,000	8,000,000	9,000,000	10,000,000
Convertible Preferred Stock, Series A [Member]
Antidilutive potential shares excluded from diluted earnings per common share:
Antidilutive potential shares excluded from diluted earnings per common share (in shares)	[1]	0	115,000,000	0	0
Stock Compensation Plan [Member]
Antidilutive potential shares excluded from diluted earnings per common share:
Antidilutive potential shares excluded from diluted earnings per common share (in shares)		13,000,000	29,000,000	18,000,000	22,000,000
Accelerated Share Repurchase Foward Contracts [Member]
Antidilutive potential shares excluded from diluted earnings per common share:
Antidilutive potential shares excluded from diluted earnings per common share (in shares)		14,000,000	0	14,000,000	0
Net income attributable to Corning Incorporated		$ 284,000,000	$ 212,000,000	$ 2,123,000,000	$ 1,115,000,000
Net income available to common stockholders – basic		260,000,000	188,000,000	2,050,000,000	1,042,000,000
Net income available to common stockholders – diluted		$ 284,000,000	$ 188,000,000	$ 2,123,000,000	$ 1,115,000,000
Weighted-average common shares outstanding – basic (in shares)		978,000,000	1,210,000,000	1,046,000,000	1,241,000,000
Weighted-average common shares outstanding – diluted (in shares)		1,102,000,000	1,218,000,000	1,170,000,000	1,366,000,000
Basic earnings per common share (in dollars per share)		$ 0.27	$ 0.16	$ 1.96	$ 0.84
Diluted earnings per common share (in dollars per share)		$ 0.26	$ 0.15	$ 1.81	$ 0.82
Antidilutive potential shares excluded from diluted earnings per common share (in shares)		27,000,000	144,000,000	32,000,000	22,000,000

[1] In the three months ended September 30, 2015, the Series A convertible preferred stock was anti-dilutive and therefore excluded from the calculation of diluted earnings per share.