Annual production capacity in metric tons

No definition available.

Name:	ip_Annualproductioncapacityinmetrictons
Namespace Prefix:	ip_
Data Type:	num:weightItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Investments

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ip_BusinessCombinationRecognizedIdentifiableAssetsAcquiredAndLiabilitiesAssumedInvestments
Namespace Prefix:	ip_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Business combination, estimated debt to be assumed

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ip_Businesscombinationestimateddebttobeassumed
Namespace Prefix:	ip_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Business combination, estimated payment to acquire business

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ip_Businesscombinationestimatedpaymenttoacquirebusiness
Namespace Prefix:	ip_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Estimated realized tax benefit

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ip_Estimatedrealizedtaxbenefit
Namespace Prefix:	ip_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

This element represents the amount of earnings or loss of the acquiree since the acquisition date included in the consolidated income statement for the reporting period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (h)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65885119&loc=d3e1392-128463

+ Details

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

- Definition

This element represents the amount of revenue of the acquiree since the acquisition date included in the consolidated income statement for the reporting period.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of assets that are expected to be realized or consumed within one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer, acquired at the acquisition date.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessCombinationRecognizedIdentifiableAssetsAcquiredAndLiabilitiesAssumedCurrentAssets
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of liabilities due within one year or within the normal operating cycle, if longer, assumed at the acquisition date.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessCombinationRecognizedIdentifiableAssetsAcquiredAndLiabilitiesAssumedCurrentLiabilities
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of liabilities due after one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer, assumed at the acquisition date.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessCombinationRecognizedIdentifiableAssetsAcquiredAndLiabilitiesAssumedNoncurrentLiabilities
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of property, plant, and equipment recognized as of the acquisition date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=73530397&loc=d3e4845-128472

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 10
-Section 55
-Paragraph 37
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=73531372&loc=d3e2207-128464

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessCombinationRecognizedIdentifiableAssetsAcquiredAndLiabilitiesAssumedPropertyPlantAndEquipment
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The percentage of ownership of common stock or equity participation in the investee accounted for under the equity method of accounting.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 323
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (a)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66011266&loc=d3e33918-111571

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The number of businesses acquired by the entity during the period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NumberOfBusinessesAcquired
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The cash outflow associated with the acquisition of a business, net of the cash acquired from the purchase.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66902209&loc=d3e3213-108585

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Investing Activities
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6516133

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=ip_WeyerhaeuserPulpBusinessMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=ip_HolmenPaperNewsprintMillMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis=sic_Z2611
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis=ip_NBSKmillMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis=ip_ConvertingfacilityMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_OtherOwnershipInterestsByNameAxis=ip_CogenerationFacilityMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

ACQUISITIONS Narrative (Details) € in Millions, $ in Millions		3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	May 02, 2016 USD ($) Facilities	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($) Tons	Jun. 30, 2016 EUR (€)	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired					$ 56	$ 0
Weyerhaeuser Pulp Business [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to acquire businesses, gross	$ 2,200
Business combination, estimated debt to be assumed		$ 88			$ 88
Estimated realized tax benefit	$ 300
Holmen Newspring Mill [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Annual production capacity in metric tons \| Tons			380,000
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired			$ 59	€ 53
Business combination, recognized identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed, property, plant and equipment			60
Business combination, recognized identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed, current assets			14
Business combination, recognized identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed, investments			7
Business combination, recognized identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed, current liabilities			9
Business combination, recognized identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed, noncurrent liabilities			$ 14
Business combination, pro forma information, revenue of acquiree since acquisition date, actual		41
Business combination, pro forma information, earnings or loss of acquiree since acquisition date, actual		$ (3)
2611 Pulp Mills [Member] \| Weyerhaeuser Pulp Business [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of businesses acquired \| Facilities	4
NBSK mill [Member] \| Weyerhaeuser Pulp Business [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of businesses acquired \| Facilities	1
Converting facility [Member] \| Weyerhaeuser Pulp Business [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of businesses acquired \| Facilities	2
4991 Cogeneration Services and Small Power Producers [Member] \| Holmen Newspring Mill [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Percentage of equity interest			50.00%