Investment Securities Narrative (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) Security	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)
Available-for-sale securities pledged as collateral	$ 1,700,000	$ 1,700,000
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost basis	2,494,059	2,312,087
Single bank stock investment, cost basis	7,400
Bank stock investment, fair value	$ 10,200
Percent ownership in an individual financial institution	49.50%
Individual bank stock investment percent to total portfolio	10.00%
Securities available for sale	$ 2,484,773	2,323,371
Domestic corporate debt securities	97,000
Equity securities
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost basis	14,677	33,469
Securities available for sale	21,514	47,623
Equity Securities Financial Institution
Available-for-sale securities, equity securities	20,600	41,800
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost basis	13,900
Equity Securities, Miscellaneous
Available-for-sale securities, equity securities	914	5,800
Auction rate securities
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost basis	106,772	108,751
Securities available for sale	98,059	$ 100,941
Single-issuer trust preferred securities
Unrealized gain (loss) on securities	$ (5,500)
Number of securities \| Security	19
External Credit Rating, Rated Above Investment Grade \| Auction rate securities
Carrying value auction rate securities rated AAA	$ 92,500
Percentage auction rate securities rated AAA	94.00%
External Credit Rated AAA \| Auction rate securities
Carrying value auction rate securities rated AAA	$ 5,600
Percentage auction rate securities rated AAA	6.00%
External Credit Rating, Rated Below Investment Grade \| Single-issuer trust preferred securities
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost basis	$ 12,500
Number of trust preferred securities	7
Securities available for sale	$ 10,700
External Credit Rating, BBB \| Single-issuer trust preferred securities
Available-for-sale securities, amortized cost basis	3,700
Securities available for sale	$ 2,600

Investment in the common stock of an individual financial institution, at fair value.

No definition available.

Name:	fult_Bankstockinvestmentfairvalue
Namespace Prefix:	fult_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Carrying value of auction rate securities with credit ratings of AAA.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	fult_CarryingValueAuctionRateSecuritiesRatedInvestmentGrade
Namespace Prefix:	fult_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The fair value as of the balance sheet date of firm holdings in debt obligations issued by corporate entities.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	fult_DomesticCorporateDebtSecurities
Namespace Prefix:	fult_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Percentage which none of the fair values of Corporation's individual bank stock investments exceed the fair value of the entire portfolio.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	fult_Individualbankstockinvestmentpercenttototalportfolio
Namespace Prefix:	fult_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number Of Securities

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	fult_NumberOfSecurities
Namespace Prefix:	fult_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of Trust Preferred Securities Below Investment Grade.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	fult_NumberOfTrustPreferredSecuritiesBelowInvestmentGrade
Namespace Prefix:	fult_
Data Type:	xbrli:positiveIntegerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value of ownership in a single financial institution as a percentage of the Corporation's entire financial institutions stock portfolio.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	fult_PercentOwnershipInAnIndividualFinancialInstitution
Namespace Prefix:	fult_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Percentage of auction rate securities with credit ratings of AAA.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	fult_PercentageAuctionRateSecuritiesInvestmentGrade
Namespace Prefix:	fult_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Investment in the common stock of an individual financial institution, at cost.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	fult_SingleBankStockInvestmentcostbasis
Namespace Prefix:	fult_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of investment in debt and equity securities categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 25
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51813488&loc=d3e22054-111558

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph (aa)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27724398&loc=d3e27232-111563

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49167202&loc=d3e26610-111562

+ Details

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

- Definition

This item represents the cost of debt and equity securities, which are categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading, net of adjustments including accretion, amortization, collection of cash, previous other-than-temporary impairments recognized in earnings (less any cumulative-effect adjustments recognized, as defined), and fair value hedge accounting adjustments, if any.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of equity securities categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor as trading.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 25
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51813488&loc=d3e22054-111558

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49167202&loc=d3e26610-111562

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 320
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6957658&loc=d3e62557-112803

+ Details

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

- Definition

The fair value of available-for-sale securities that serve as collateral for borrowings.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49124121&loc=d3e5086-111524

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of unrealized gain (loss) recognized in the income statement on unsold other securities.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 28
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=56944662&loc=d3e3602-108585

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis=us-gaap_EquitySecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis=fult_EquitySecuritiesFinancialInstitutionMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis=fult_EquitySecuritiesMiscellaneousMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis=us-gaap_AuctionRateSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis=fult_SingleIssuerTrustPreferredSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ExternalCreditRatingByGroupingAxis=fult_ExternalCreditRatingRatedAboveInvestmentGradeMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ExternalCreditRatingByGroupingAxis=fult_ExternalCreditRatedAaaMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ExternalCreditRatingByGroupingAxis=fult_ExternalCreditRatingRatedBelowInvestmentGradeMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ExternalCreditRatingByGroupingAxis=fult_ExternalCreditRatingBbbMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: