Investment Securities - Amount of Gross Gains and Losses Realized through Sales of Available-for-sale Investment Securities (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Realized Gain (Loss), Excluding Other than Temporary Impairments [Abstract]
Realized gains	$ 12	$ 31	$ 1
Realized losses		(12)	$ (1)
Net realized gains (losses)	12	19
Income tax (benefit) on net realized gains (losses)	$ 4	$ 7

This item represents the gross profit realized on the sale of debt or equity securities categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading securities.

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

+ Details

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

- Definition

This item represents the difference between the gross realized gains and losses realized on the sale of debt or equity securities categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading securities.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 7
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66010992&loc=d3e26805-111562

+ Details

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

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of loss realized on the sale of debt or equity securities classified as available-for-sale. Excludes other than temporary impairments (OTTI).

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesGrossRealizedLossesExcludingOtherThanTemporaryImpairments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Available For Sale Securities Gross Realized Gain Loss Excluding Other Than Temporary Impairments Income Tax Expense Benefit.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	usb_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesGrossRealizedGainLossExcludingOtherThanTemporaryImpairmentsIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Namespace Prefix:	usb_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration