Supplemental Financial Information (Consolidating Statement of Income) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues			$ 2,943,559	$ 3,585,823	$ 3,701,912	$ 3,006,626	$ 4,283,119	$ 5,317,555	$ 5,372,600	$ 4,791,053	$ 13,237,920	$ 19,764,327	$ 20,160,560
Cost of products sold											10,239,218	17,228,385	17,392,227
Lower of cost or market inventory valuation adjustment			(143,600)	(225,500)	135,500	6,500					226,979	397,478	0
Operating expenses											1,060,373	1,144,940	1,090,850
General and administrative											120,846	114,609	127,963
Depreciation and amortization											346,151	363,381	303,446
Total operating costs and expenses			3,000,265	3,263,218	3,112,080	2,618,004	4,637,537	5,014,944	5,076,255	4,520,057	11,993,567	19,248,793	18,914,486
Income (loss) from operations			(56,706)	322,605	589,832	388,622	(354,418)	302,611	296,345	270,996	1,244,353	515,534	1,246,074
Earnings (loss) of equity method investments											(3,738)	(2,007)	(2,072)
Interest income (expense)											(40,079)	(39,216)	(62,494)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	$ 7,700	$ 22,100									(1,370)	(7,677)	(22,109)
Gain on sale of assets											9,402	866	0
Other income (expense) total											(35,785)	(48,034)	(86,675)
Income before income taxes			(64,671)	320,673	580,177	372,389	(361,335)	290,774	286,485	251,576	1,208,568	467,500	1,159,399
Income tax provision											406,060	141,172	391,576
Net income											802,508	326,328	767,823
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest											62,407	45,036	31,981
Net income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders			$ (43,921)	$ 196,322	$ 360,824	$ 226,876	$ (222,204)	$ 175,006	$ 176,429	$ 152,061	740,101	281,292	735,842
Comprehensive income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders											708,052	308,364	745,089
HollyFrontier Corp. Before Consolidation of HEP
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues											13,171,846	19,708,328	20,106,757
Cost of products sold											10,525,610	17,500,601	17,641,119
Lower of cost or market inventory valuation adjustment											226,979	397,478
Operating expenses											960,352	1,041,571	995,194
General and administrative											108,290	103,785	116,214
Depreciation and amortization											299,233	317,149	253,062
Total operating costs and expenses											12,120,464	19,360,584	19,005,589
Income (loss) from operations											1,051,382	347,744	1,101,168
Earnings (loss) of equity method investments											78,969	65,375	52,288
Interest income (expense)											6,098	6,221	(6,338)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt											(1,370)	0	(22,109)
Gain on sale of assets											8,916	866
Other income (expense) total											92,613	72,462	23,841
Income before income taxes											1,143,995	420,206	1,125,009
Income tax provision											405,832	140,937	391,243
Net income											738,163	279,269	733,766
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest											(30)	(25)	0
Net income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders											738,193	279,294	733,766
Comprehensive income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders											706,144	306,366	743,013
HEP Subsidiary
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues											358,875	332,626	307,053
Cost of products sold											0	0	0
Lower of cost or market inventory valuation adjustment											0	0
Operating expenses											103,305	104,801	97,081
General and administrative											12,556	10,824	11,749
Depreciation and amortization											61,236	60,548	64,701
Total operating costs and expenses											177,097	176,173	173,531
Income (loss) from operations											181,778	156,453	133,522
Earnings (loss) of equity method investments											4,803	2,987	2,826
Interest income (expense)											(36,892)	(36,098)	(46,849)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt											0	(7,677)	0
Gain on sale of assets											486	0
Other income (expense) total											(31,603)	(40,788)	(44,023)
Income before income taxes											150,175	115,665	89,499
Income tax provision											228	235	333
Net income											149,947	115,430	89,166
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest											3,971	8,288	6,632
Net income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders											145,976	107,142	82,534
Comprehensive income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders											138,920	107,181	84,354
Consolidations and Eliminations
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues											(292,801)	(276,627)	(253,250)
Cost of products sold											(286,392)	(272,216)	(248,892)
Lower of cost or market inventory valuation adjustment											0	0
Operating expenses											(3,284)	(1,432)	(1,425)
General and administrative											0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization											(14,318)	(14,316)	(14,317)
Total operating costs and expenses											(303,994)	(287,964)	(264,634)
Income (loss) from operations											11,193	11,337	11,384
Earnings (loss) of equity method investments											(87,510)	(70,369)	(57,186)
Interest income (expense)											(9,285)	(9,339)	(9,307)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt											0	0	0
Gain on sale of assets											0	0
Other income (expense) total											(96,795)	(79,708)	(66,493)
Income before income taxes											(85,602)	(68,371)	(55,109)
Income tax provision											0	0	0
Net income											(85,602)	(68,371)	(55,109)
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest											58,466	36,773	25,349
Net income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders											(144,068)	(105,144)	(80,458)
Comprehensive income attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders											$ (137,012)	$ (105,183)	$ (82,278)