Quarterly Information (Unaudited) (Schedule Of Quarterly Information) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands	3 Months Ended																12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017		Sep. 30, 2017		Jun. 30, 2017		Mar. 31, 2017		Dec. 31, 2016		Sep. 30, 2016		Jun. 30, 2016		Mar. 31, 2016		Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues	$ 3,992,705,000		$ 3,719,247,000		$ 3,458,864,000		$ 3,080,483,000		$ 2,955,068,000		$ 2,847,270,000		$ 2,714,638,000		$ 2,018,724,000		$ 14,251,299,000	$ 10,535,700,000	$ 13,237,920,000
Operating costs and expenses	3,627,053,000		3,269,967,000		3,337,179,000		3,113,207,000		2,842,776,000		2,722,505,000		3,135,180,000		1,935,126,000		13,347,406,000	10,635,587,000	11,993,567,000
Income (loss) from operations	365,652,000	[1],[2]	449,280,000	[1],[2]	121,685,000	[1],[2]	(32,724,000)	[1],[2]	112,292,000	[3],[4]	124,765,000	[3],[4]	(420,542,000)	[3],[4]	83,598,000	[3],[4]	903,893,000	(99,887,000)	1,244,353,000
Income (loss) before income taxes	371,262,000		446,103,000		106,069,000		(54,571,000)		83,416,000		109,867,000		(430,515,000)		65,698,000		868,863,000	(171,534,000)	1,208,568,000
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent	$ 521,082,000		$ 272,014,000		$ 57,767,000		$ (45,468,000)		$ 53,165,000		$ 74,497,000		$ (409,368,000)		$ 21,253,000		$ 805,395,000	$ (260,453,000)	$ 740,101,000
Net income (loss) per share attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders - basic (in dollars per share)	$ 2.94		$ 1.53		$ 0.33		$ (0.26)		$ 0.30		$ 0.42		$ (2.33)		$ 0.12		$ 4.54	$ (1.48)	$ 3.91
Net income (loss) per share attributable to HollyFrontier stockholders - diluted (in dollars per share)	2.92		1.53		0.33		(0.26)		0.30		0.42		(2.33)		0.12		4.52	(1.48)	$ 3.90
Dividends per common share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.33		$ 0.33		$ 0.33		$ 0.33		$ 0.33		$ 0.33		$ 0.33		$ 0.33		$ 1.32	$ 1.32
Basic	176,265		176,149		176,147		176,210		175,936		175,871		175,865		176,737		176,174	176,101	188,731
Diluted	177,457		176,530		176,302		176,210		176,137		175,993		175,865		176,784		177,196	176,101	188,940
Lower of cost or market inventory valuation adjustment					$ (84,000,000)		$ (11,800,000)				$ 300,000						$ (108,685,000)	$ (291,938,000)	$ 226,979,000
Lower of cost or market inventory valuation adjustment	$ 93,400,000		$ (111,100,000)						$ (97,700,000)				$ 138,500,000		$ 56,100,000		(108,685,000)	(291,938,000)	226,979,000
Asset Impairment Charges					23,200,000												19,247,000	654,084,000	0
Goodwill, Impaired, Accumulated Impairment Loss	309,318,000								309,318,000								309,318,000	309,318,000
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Held-for-use					$ 19,200,000												344,800,000	0	0
Refining
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Sales and other revenues																	12,579,672,000	10,002,831,000	12,677,901,000
Income (loss) from operations																	597,773,000	(332,748,000)	1,036,109,000
Lower of cost or market inventory valuation adjustment																	(107,479,000)	(287,848,000)	$ 225,736,000
Asset Impairment Charges																	19,247,000
Goodwill, Impaired, Accumulated Impairment Loss	$ 309,318,000								$ 309,318,000								$ 309,318,000	$ 309,318,000

[1] For 2017, income from operations reflects long-lived asset impairment charges of $23.2 million in the second quarter.

[2] For 2017, income from operations reflects non-cash lower of cost or market inventory valuation charges of $11.8 million and $84.0 million for the first and second quarters, respectively, and a reduction of $111.1 million and $93.4 million for the third and fourth quarters, respectively.

[3] For 2016, income from operations reflects non-cash goodwill and long-lived asset impairment charges of $309.3 million and $344.8 million , respectively, in the second quarter.

[4] For 2016, income from operations reflects non-cash lower of cost or market inventory valuation reductions of $56.1 million and $138.5 million for the first and second quarters, respectively, and increases of $0.3 million for the third quarter and a reduction of $97.7 million for the fourth quarter.