Supplemental Guarantor/Non-Guarantor Financial Information Consolidating Statement of Income (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2011
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues	$ 4,806,681	$ 2,967,133	$ 9,738,419	$ 5,293,718
Cost of products sold	3,681,764	2,447,095	7,868,681	4,431,712
Operating expenses	222,726	139,345	464,353	274,088
General and administrative	32,106	18,682	59,634	35,500
Depreciation and amortization	56,948	31,832	113,050	63,140
Total operating costs and expenses	3,993,544	2,636,954	8,505,718	4,804,440
Income (loss) from operations	813,137	330,179	1,232,701	489,278
Earnings of equity method investments	886	467	1,603	1,207
Interest income (expense)	(26,261)	(14,536)	(59,116)	(30,655)
Gain on sale of marketable equity securities	326	0	326	0
Merger transaction costs	0	(2,316)	0	(6,014)
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	(25,049)	(16,385)	(57,187)	(35,462)
Income before income taxes	788,088	313,794	1,175,514	453,816
Income tax provision	285,718	111,961	426,124	160,972
Net income	502,370	201,833	749,390	292,844
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	8,871	9,598	14,195	15,915
Net income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	493,499	192,235	735,195	276,929
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent	516,495	192,013	662,897	277,086
Parent [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues	100	153	199	801
Cost of products sold	0	0	0	0
Operating expenses	0	0	0	0
General and administrative	29,451	16,976	54,424	32,329
Depreciation and amortization	876	907	1,979	1,847
Total operating costs and expenses	30,327	17,883	56,403	34,176
Income (loss) from operations	(30,227)	(17,730)	(56,204)	(33,375)
Earnings of equity method investments	823,251	329,496	1,247,902	488,453
Interest income (expense)	(13,424)	(5,063)	(27,447)	(11,872)
Gain on sale of marketable equity securities	0		0
Merger transaction costs		(2,316)		(6,014)
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	809,827	322,117	1,220,455	470,567
Income before income taxes	779,600	304,387	1,164,251	437,192
Income tax provision	285,643	111,943	425,974	160,726
Net income	493,957	192,444	738,277	276,466
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	493,957	192,444	738,277	276,466
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent	509,400	192,510	673,129	276,337
Guarantor Restricted Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues	4,795,719	2,953,226	9,715,457	5,268,318
Cost of products sold	3,737,717	2,483,435	7,979,509	4,501,361
Operating expenses	201,876	124,992	423,667	246,677
General and administrative	146	133	662	235
Depreciation and amortization	43,963	23,644	85,774	46,805
Total operating costs and expenses	3,983,702	2,632,204	8,489,612	4,795,078
Income (loss) from operations	812,017	321,022	1,225,845	473,240
Earnings of equity method investments	11,927	9,268	23,131	16,831
Interest income (expense)	(944)	(795)	(1,400)	(1,618)
Gain on sale of marketable equity securities	326		326
Merger transaction costs		0		0
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	11,309	8,473	22,057	15,213
Income before income taxes	823,326	329,495	1,247,902	488,453
Income tax provision	0	0	0	0
Net income	823,326	329,495	1,247,902	488,453
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	823,326	329,495	1,247,902	488,453
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent	830,977	329,113	1,240,467	488,204
Non Guarantor Restricted Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues	4,061	0	8,179	0
Cost of products sold	0	0	0	0
Operating expenses	3,061	121	6,117	509
General and administrative	22	0	22	0
Depreciation and amortization	3,588	179	7,124	358
Total operating costs and expenses	6,671	300	13,263	867
Income (loss) from operations	(2,610)	(300)	(5,084)	(867)
Earnings of equity method investments	13,613	9,480	26,577	17,500
Interest income (expense)	176	13	375	26
Gain on sale of marketable equity securities	0		0
Merger transaction costs		0		0
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	13,789	9,493	26,952	17,526
Income before income taxes	11,179	9,193	21,868	16,659
Income tax provision	0	0	0	0
Net income	11,179	9,193	21,868	16,659
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	11,179	9,193	21,868	16,659
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent	11,179	9,193	21,868	16,659
Eliminations From Consolidation Of Restricted Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues	(2,670)	0	(5,614)	0
Cost of products sold	(2,596)	0	(5,540)	0
Operating expenses	0	0	(75)	0
General and administrative	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Total operating costs and expenses	(2,596)	0	(5,615)	0
Income (loss) from operations	(74)	0	1	0
Earnings of equity method investments	(835,086)	(338,764)	(1,271,055)	(505,284)
Interest income (expense)	0	0	0	0
Gain on sale of marketable equity securities	0		0
Merger transaction costs		0		0
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	(835,086)	(338,764)	(1,271,055)	(505,284)
Income before income taxes	(835,160)	(338,764)	(1,271,054)	(505,284)
Income tax provision	0	0	0	0
Net income	(835,160)	(338,764)	(1,271,054)	(505,284)
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	(656)	(75)	(1,285)	(172)
Net income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	(834,504)	(338,689)	(1,269,769)	(505,112)
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent	(834,504)	(338,689)	(1,269,769)	(505,111)
Holly Frontier Corp. Before Consolidation Of HEP [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues	4,797,210	2,953,379	9,718,221	5,269,119
Cost of products sold	3,735,121	2,483,435	7,973,969	4,501,361
Operating expenses	204,937	125,113	429,709	247,186
General and administrative	29,619	17,109	55,108	32,564
Depreciation and amortization	48,427	24,730	94,877	49,010
Total operating costs and expenses	4,018,104	2,650,387	8,553,663	4,830,121
Income (loss) from operations	779,106	302,992	1,164,558	438,998
Earnings of equity method investments	13,705	9,480	26,555	17,500
Interest income (expense)	(14,192)	(5,845)	(28,472)	(13,464)
Gain on sale of marketable equity securities	326		326
Merger transaction costs		(2,316)		(6,014)
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	(161)	1,319	(1,591)	(1,978)
Income before income taxes	778,945	304,311	1,162,967	437,020
Income tax provision	285,643	111,943	425,974	160,726
Net income	493,302	192,368	736,993	276,294
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	(656)	(75)	(1,285)	(172)
Net income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	493,958	192,443	738,278	276,466
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent	517,052	192,127	665,695	276,089
Non-Guarantor Non-Restricted Subsidiaries (HEP Segment) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues	63,692	50,940	127,207	95,945
Cost of products sold	0	0	0	0
Operating expenses	17,923	14,366	34,911	27,162
General and administrative	2,487	1,573	4,526	2,936
Depreciation and amortization	8,728	7,309	18,587	14,544
Total operating costs and expenses	29,138	23,248	58,024	44,642
Income (loss) from operations	34,554	27,692	69,183	51,303
Earnings of equity method investments	794	467	1,625	1,207
Interest income (expense)	(12,665)	(9,286)	(31,835)	(18,398)
Gain on sale of marketable equity securities	0		0
Merger transaction costs		0		0
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	(11,871)	(8,819)	(30,210)	(17,191)
Income before income taxes	22,683	18,873	38,973	34,112
Income tax provision	75	18	150	246
Net income	22,608	18,855	38,823	33,866
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	22,608	18,855	38,823	33,866
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent	22,373	19,126	39,508	36,440
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues	(54,221)	(37,186)	(107,009)	(71,346)
Cost of products sold	(53,357)	(36,340)	(105,288)	(69,649)
Operating expenses	(134)	(134)	(267)	(260)
General and administrative	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	(207)	(207)	(414)	(414)
Total operating costs and expenses	(53,698)	(36,681)	(105,969)	(70,323)
Income (loss) from operations	(523)	(505)	(1,040)	(1,023)
Earnings of equity method investments	(13,613)	(9,480)	(26,577)	(17,500)
Interest income (expense)	596	595	1,191	1,207
Gain on sale of marketable equity securities	0		0
Merger transaction costs		0		0
Nonoperating Income (Expense)	(13,017)	(8,885)	(25,386)	(16,293)
Income before income taxes	(13,540)	(9,390)	(26,426)	(17,316)
Income tax provision	0	0	0	0
Net income	(13,540)	(9,390)	(26,426)	(17,316)
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	9,527	9,673	15,480	16,087
Net income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders	(23,067)	(19,063)	(41,906)	(33,403)
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent	$ (22,930)	$ (19,240)	$ (42,306)	$ (35,443)