Regulatory Matters (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) banks	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)
Compliance with Regulatory Capital Requirements under Banking Regulations [Line Items]
Amount available for dividend distribution without affecting capital adequacy requirements	$ 236,000
Maximum allowed percentage of loans issued to a single affiliate	10.00%
Maximum allowed percentage of aggregate loans issued to all affiliate	20.00%
Significant subidiaries | banks	4
Excess tier one risk based capital	$ 1,000,000	$ 1,000,000
Total Capital [Abstract]
Capital	$ 1,997,926	$ 1,970,569
Capital to risk weighted assets	13.20%	14.70%
Capital required for capital adequacy	$ 1,214,868	$ 1,076,013
Capital required for capital adequacy to risk weighted assets	8.00%	8.00%
Tier One Risk Based Capital [Abstract]
Tier one risk based capital	$ 1,544,495	$ 1,655,853
Tier one risk based capital to risk weighted assets	10.20%	12.30%
Tier one risk based capital required for capital adequacy	$ 911,151	$ 538,007
Tier one risk based capital required for capital adequacy to risk weighted assets	6.00%	4.00%
Common Equity Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-weighted Assets) [Abstract]
Common equity tier 1 capital	$ 1,541,214
Common equity tier 1 risk based capital to risk weighted assets	10.20%
Common equity tier 1 capital required for capital adequacy	$ 683,363
Common equity tier one risk based capital required for capital adequacy to risk weighted assets	4.50%
Tier One Leverage Capital [Abstract]
Tier one leverage capital	$ 1,544,495	$ 1,655,853
Tier one leverage capital to average assets	9.00%	10.00%
Tier one leverage capital required for capital adequacy	$ 688,500	$ 663,421
Tier one leverage capital required for capital adequacy to average assets	4.00%	4.00%
Fulton Bank, N.A.
Total Capital [Abstract]
Capital	$ 1,088,709	$ 1,065,445
Capital to risk weighted assets	12.20%	13.20%
Capital required for capital adequacy	$ 714,734	$ 643,791
Capital required for capital adequacy to risk weighted assets	8.00%	8.00%
Capital required to be well capitalized	$ 893,418	$ 804,739
Capital required to be well capitalized to risk weighted assets	10.00%	10.00%
Tier One Risk Based Capital [Abstract]
Tier one risk based capital	$ 1,000,603	$ 977,547
Tier one risk based capital to risk weighted assets	11.20%	12.10%
Tier one risk based capital required for capital adequacy	$ 536,051	$ 321,896
Tier one risk based capital required for capital adequacy to risk weighted assets	6.00%	4.00%
Tier one risk based capital required to be well capitalized	$ 714,734	$ 482,843
Tier one risk based capital required to be well capitalized to risk weighted assets	8.00%	6.00%
Common Equity Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-weighted Assets) [Abstract]
Common equity tier 1 capital	$ 956,603
Common equity tier 1 risk based capital to risk weighted assets	10.70%
Common equity tier 1 capital required for capital adequacy	$ 402,038
Common equity tier one risk based capital required for capital adequacy to risk weighted assets	4.50%
Common equity tier 1 capital required to be well Capitalized	$ 580,721
Common equity tier 1 capital required to be well capitalized to risk weighted assets	6.50%
Tier One Leverage Capital [Abstract]
Tier one leverage capital	$ 1,000,603	$ 977,547
Tier one leverage capital to average assets	10.20%	10.50%
Tier one leverage capital required for capital adequacy	$ 391,783	$ 373,288
Tier one leverage capital required for capital adequacy to average assets	4.00%	4.00%
Tier one leverage capital required to be well capitalized	$ 489,729	$ 466,610
Tier one leverage capital required to be well capitalized to average assets	5.00%	5.00%
Fulton Bank of New Jersey
Total Capital [Abstract]
Capital	$ 373,465	$ 347,235
Capital to risk weighted assets	12.60%	13.10%
Capital required for capital adequacy	$ 236,691	$ 211,823
Capital required for capital adequacy to risk weighted assets	8.00%	8.00%
Capital required to be well capitalized	$ 295,864	$ 264,779
Capital required to be well capitalized to risk weighted assets	10.00%	10.00%
Tier One Risk Based Capital [Abstract]
Tier one risk based capital	$ 336,319	$ 313,843
Tier one risk based capital to risk weighted assets	11.40%	11.90%
Tier one risk based capital required for capital adequacy	$ 177,518	$ 105,911
Tier one risk based capital required for capital adequacy to risk weighted assets	6.00%	4.00%
Tier one risk based capital required to be well capitalized	$ 236,691	$ 158,867
Tier one risk based capital required to be well capitalized to risk weighted assets	8.00%	6.00%
Common Equity Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-weighted Assets) [Abstract]
Common equity tier 1 capital	$ 336,319
Common equity tier 1 risk based capital to risk weighted assets	11.40%
Common equity tier 1 capital required for capital adequacy	$ 133,139
Common equity tier one risk based capital required for capital adequacy to risk weighted assets	4.50%
Common equity tier 1 capital required to be well Capitalized	$ 192,311
Common equity tier 1 capital required to be well capitalized to risk weighted assets	6.50%
Tier One Leverage Capital [Abstract]
Tier one leverage capital	$ 336,319	$ 313,843
Tier one leverage capital to average assets	9.50%	9.40%
Tier one leverage capital required for capital adequacy	$ 141,257	$ 133,580
Tier one leverage capital required for capital adequacy to average assets	4.00%	4.00%
Tier one leverage capital required to be well capitalized	$ 176,572	$ 166,975
Tier one leverage capital required to be well capitalized to average assets	5.00%	5.00%
The Columbia Bank
Total Capital [Abstract]
Capital	$ 211,355	$ 203,109
Capital to risk weighted assets	13.70%	13.50%
Capital required for capital adequacy	$ 123,260	$ 119,934
Capital required for capital adequacy to risk weighted assets	8.00%	8.00%
Capital required to be well capitalized	$ 154,075	$ 149,917
Capital required to be well capitalized to risk weighted assets	10.00%	10.00%
Tier One Risk Based Capital [Abstract]
Tier one risk based capital	$ 192,090	$ 184,331
Tier one risk based capital to risk weighted assets	12.50%	12.30%
Tier one risk based capital required for capital adequacy	$ 92,445	$ 59,967
Tier one risk based capital required for capital adequacy to risk weighted assets	6.00%	4.00%
Tier one risk based capital required to be well capitalized	$ 123,260	$ 89,950
Tier one risk based capital required to be well capitalized to risk weighted assets	8.00%	6.00%
Common Equity Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-weighted Assets) [Abstract]
Common equity tier 1 capital	$ 192,090
Common equity tier 1 risk based capital to risk weighted assets	12.50%
Common equity tier 1 capital required for capital adequacy	$ 69,334
Common equity tier one risk based capital required for capital adequacy to risk weighted assets	4.50%
Common equity tier 1 capital required to be well Capitalized	$ 100,149
Common equity tier 1 capital required to be well capitalized to risk weighted assets	6.50%
Tier One Leverage Capital [Abstract]
Tier one leverage capital	$ 192,090	$ 184,331
Tier one leverage capital to average assets	9.70%	9.40%
Tier one leverage capital required for capital adequacy	$ 79,618	$ 78,186
Tier one leverage capital required for capital adequacy to average assets	4.00%	4.00%
Tier one leverage capital required to be well capitalized	$ 99,523	$ 97,733
Tier one leverage capital required to be well capitalized to average assets	5.00%	5.00%
Lafayette Ambassador Bank
Total Capital [Abstract]
Capital	$ 172,345	$ 167,800
Capital to risk weighted assets	14.10%	15.90%
Capital required for capital adequacy	$ 97,792	$ 84,407
Capital required for capital adequacy to risk weighted assets	8.00%	8.00%
Capital required to be well capitalized	$ 122,240	$ 105,508
Capital required to be well capitalized to risk weighted assets	10.00%	10.00%
Tier One Risk Based Capital [Abstract]
Tier one risk based capital	$ 162,092	$ 154,817
Tier one risk based capital to risk weighted assets	13.30%	14.70%
Tier one risk based capital required for capital adequacy	$ 73,344	$ 42,203
Tier one risk based capital required for capital adequacy to risk weighted assets	6.00%	4.00%
Tier one risk based capital required to be well capitalized	$ 97,792	$ 63,305
Tier one risk based capital required to be well capitalized to risk weighted assets	8.00%	6.00%
Common Equity Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-weighted Assets) [Abstract]
Common equity tier 1 capital	$ 162,092
Common equity tier 1 risk based capital to risk weighted assets	13.30%
Common equity tier 1 capital required for capital adequacy	$ 55,008
Common equity tier one risk based capital required for capital adequacy to risk weighted assets	4.50%
Common equity tier 1 capital required to be well Capitalized	$ 79,456
Common equity tier 1 capital required to be well capitalized to risk weighted assets	6.50%
Tier One Leverage Capital [Abstract]
Tier one leverage capital	$ 162,092	$ 154,817
Tier one leverage capital to average assets	11.00%	10.80%
Tier one leverage capital required for capital adequacy	$ 59,152	$ 57,132
Tier one leverage capital required for capital adequacy to average assets	4.00%	4.00%
Tier one leverage capital required to be well capitalized	$ 73,940	$ 71,416
Tier one leverage capital required to be well capitalized to average assets	5.00%	5.00%