Regulatory Matters (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) banks	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Compliance with Regulatory Capital Requirements under Banking Regulations [Line Items]
Amount available for dividend distribution without affecting capital adequacy requirements	$ 233,000
Maximum allowed percentage of loans issued to a single affiliate	10000.00%
Maximum allowed percentage of aggregate loans issued to all affiliate	20000.00%
Significant subidiaries | banks	4
Excess tier one risk based capital	$ 1,000,000	$ 1,000,000
Total Capital [Abstract]
Capital	$ 2,074,526	$ 1,997,926
Capital to risk weighted assets	13.20%	13.20%
Capital required for capital adequacy	$ 1,255,292	$ 1,214,868
Capital required for capital adequacy to risk weighted assets	8.00%	8.00%
Tier One Risk Based Capital [Abstract]
Tier one risk based capital	$ 1,637,150	$ 1,544,495
Tier one risk based capital to risk weighted assets	10.40%	10.20%
Tier one risk based capital required for capital adequacy	$ 941,469	$ 911,151
Tier one risk based capital required for capital adequacy to risk weighted assets	6.00%	6.00%
CommonEquityTierOneCapitalAbstract [Abstract]
Common equity tier 1 capital	$ 1,637,150	$ 1,541,214
Common equity tier one capital ratio	10.40%	10.20%
Common equity tier one capital required for capital adequacy	$ 706,102	$ 683,363
Common equity tier one capital required for capital adequacy to risk weighted assets	4.50%	4.50%
Tier One Leverage Capital [Abstract]
Tier one leverage capital	$ 1,637,150	$ 1,544,495
Tier one leverage capital to average assets	9.00%	9.00%
Tier one leverage capital required for capital adequacy	$ 727,745	$ 688,500
Tier one leverage capital required for capital adequacy to average assets	4.00%	4.00%
Fulton Bank, N.A.
Total Capital [Abstract]
Capital	$ 1,142,326	$ 1,088,709
Capital to risk weighted assets	12.20%	12.20%
Capital required for capital adequacy	$ 747,359	$ 714,734
Capital required for capital adequacy to risk weighted assets	8.00%	8.00%
Capital required to be well capitalized	$ 934,199	$ 893,418
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	$ 1,050,175	$ 1,000,603
Tier one risk based capital to risk weighted assets	11.20%	11.20%
Tier one risk based capital required for capital adequacy	$ 560,519	$ 536,051
Tier one risk based capital required for capital adequacy to risk weighted assets	6.00%	6.00%
Tier one risk based capital required to be well capitalized	$ 747,359	$ 714,734
Tier one risk based capital required to be well capitalized to risk weighted assets	8.00%	8.00%
CommonEquityTierOneCapitalAbstract [Abstract]
Common equity tier 1 capital	$ 1,006,175	$ 956,603
Common equity tier one capital ratio	10.80%	10.70%
Common equity tier one capital required for capital adequacy	$ 420,389	$ 402,038
Common equity tier one capital required for capital adequacy to risk weighted assets	4.50%	4.50%
Common equity tier one capital required to be well-capitalized	$ 607,229	$ 580,721
Common equity tier one capital required to be well capitalized to risk weighted assets	6.50%	6.50%
Tier One Leverage Capital [Abstract]
Tier one leverage capital	$ 1,050,175	$ 1,000,603
Tier one leverage capital to average assets	10.10%	10.20%
Tier one leverage capital required for capital adequacy	$ 415,981	$ 391,783
Tier one leverage capital required for capital adequacy to average assets	4.00%	4.00%
Tier one leverage capital required to be well capitalized	$ 519,977	$ 489,729
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	$ 385,807	$ 373,465
Capital to risk weighted assets	13.10%	12.60%
Capital required for capital adequacy	$ 234,782	$ 236,691
Capital required for capital adequacy to risk weighted assets	8.00%	8.00%
Capital required to be well capitalized	$ 293,427	$ 295,864
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	$ 348,992	$ 336,319
Tier one risk based capital to risk weighted assets	11.90%	11.40%
Tier one risk based capital required for capital adequacy	$ 176,086	$ 177,518
Tier one risk based capital required for capital adequacy to risk weighted assets	6.00%	6.00%
Tier one risk based capital required to be well capitalized	$ 234,782	$ 236,691
Tier one risk based capital required to be well capitalized to risk weighted assets	8.00%	8.00%
CommonEquityTierOneCapitalAbstract [Abstract]
Common equity tier 1 capital	$ 348,992	$ 336,319
Common equity tier one capital ratio	11.90%	11.40%
Common equity tier one capital required for capital adequacy	$ 132,065	$ 133,139
Common equity tier one capital required for capital adequacy to risk weighted assets	4.50%	4.50%
Common equity tier one capital required to be well-capitalized	$ 190,760	$ 192,311
Common equity tier one capital required to be well capitalized to risk weighted assets	6.50%	6.50%
Tier One Leverage Capital [Abstract]
Tier one leverage capital	$ 348,992	$ 336,319
Tier one leverage capital to average assets	9.40%	9.50%
Tier one leverage capital required for capital adequacy	$ 148,472	$ 141,257
Tier one leverage capital required for capital adequacy to average assets	4.00%	4.00%
Tier one leverage capital required to be well capitalized	$ 185,590	$ 176,572
Tier one leverage capital required to be well capitalized to average assets	5.00%	5.00%
The Columbia Bank
Total Capital [Abstract]
Capital	$ 203,890	$ 211,355
Capital to risk weighted assets	12.20%	13.70%
Capital required for capital adequacy	$ 133,836	$ 123,260
Capital required for capital adequacy to risk weighted assets	8.00%	8.00%
Capital required to be well capitalized	$ 167,294	$ 154,075
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	$ 185,983	$ 192,090
Tier one risk based capital to risk weighted assets	11.10%	12.50%
Tier one risk based capital required for capital adequacy	$ 100,377	$ 92,445
Tier one risk based capital required for capital adequacy to risk weighted assets	6.00%	6.00%
Tier one risk based capital required to be well capitalized	$ 133,836	$ 123,260
Tier one risk based capital required to be well capitalized to risk weighted assets	8.00%	8.00%
CommonEquityTierOneCapitalAbstract [Abstract]
Common equity tier 1 capital	$ 185,983	$ 192,090
Common equity tier one capital ratio	11.10%	12.50%
Common equity tier one capital required for capital adequacy	$ 72,282	$ 69,334
Common equity tier one capital required for capital adequacy to risk weighted assets	4.50%	4.50%
Common equity tier one capital required to be well-capitalized	$ 108,741	$ 100,149
Common equity tier one capital required to be well capitalized to risk weighted assets	6.50%	6.50%
Tier One Leverage Capital [Abstract]
Tier one leverage capital	$ 185,983	$ 192,090
Tier one leverage capital to average assets	8.60%	9.70%
Tier one leverage capital required for capital adequacy	$ 86,310	$ 79,618
Tier one leverage capital required for capital adequacy to average assets	4.00%	4.00%
Tier one leverage capital required to be well capitalized	$ 107,888	$ 99,523
Tier one leverage capital required to be well capitalized to average assets	5.00%	5.00%
Lafayette Ambassador Bank
Total Capital [Abstract]
Capital	$ 175,254	$ 172,345
Capital to risk weighted assets	14.60%	14.10%
Capital required for capital adequacy	$ 96,100	$ 97,792
Capital required for capital adequacy to risk weighted assets	8.00%	8.00%
Capital required to be well capitalized	$ 120,125	$ 122,240
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	$ 166,186	$ 162,092
Tier one risk based capital to risk weighted assets	13.80%	13.30%
Tier one risk based capital required for capital adequacy	$ 72,075	$ 73,344
Tier one risk based capital required for capital adequacy to risk weighted assets	6.00%	6.00%
Tier one risk based capital required to be well capitalized	$ 96,100	$ 97,792
Tier one risk based capital required to be well capitalized to risk weighted assets	8.00%	8.00%
CommonEquityTierOneCapitalAbstract [Abstract]
Common equity tier 1 capital	$ 166,186	$ 162,092
Common equity tier one capital ratio	13.80%	13.30%
Common equity tier one capital required for capital adequacy	$ 54,056	$ 55,008
Common equity tier one capital required for capital adequacy to risk weighted assets	4.50%	4.50%
Common equity tier one capital required to be well-capitalized	$ 78,081	$ 79,456
Common equity tier one capital required to be well capitalized to risk weighted assets	6.50%	6.50%
Tier One Leverage Capital [Abstract]
Tier one leverage capital	$ 166,186	$ 162,092
Tier one leverage capital to average assets	10.90%	11.00%
Tier one leverage capital required for capital adequacy	$ 61,129	$ 59,152
Tier one leverage capital required for capital adequacy to average assets	4.00%	4.00%
Tier one leverage capital required to be well capitalized	$ 76,412	$ 73,940
Tier one leverage capital required to be well capitalized to average assets	5.00%	5.00%