Loans (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Non-covered loans net of unearned discount and deferred loan fees	$ 7,500,000	$ 9,300,000
Outstanding contractual principal balances	398,200,000	497,000,000
Reclassification from nonaccretable difference	6,017,000	51,940,000
Combined loan to value, ratio home equity loans	70.00%
Number of days loans placed on non-accrual status	90
Accrued interest on non-accrual loans	6,900,000	7,900,000	6,500,000
Interest income recognized and classified as non-accrual	1,600,000
Interest on impaired loan	1,100,000
Impaired loans with no related allowance	38,185,000	48,570,000
Impaired loans with related allowance	145,890,000	105,717,000
Average balance of impaired loans		104,100,000	49,800,000
Related allowance of impaired loans	23,243,000	15,226,000
Average balance of impaired loans	170,658,000
Interest income recognized	6,350,000
TDRs not reported as non-accrual loans	101,000,000	89,700,000
Non-performing troubled debt restructuring loans	15,500,000	9,400,000
Loans modified as TDRs	9,000,000
Charge-offs of loans modified as TDRs	0	0
Valley National Bancorp [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Non-interest income relating to discount accretion and post-aquisition	13,400,000	6,300,000
Commercial And Industrial [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Unsecured loans	337,700,000	451,700,000
Amount at which non-accrual commercial and industrial loans and commercial real estate loans are evaluated for impairment	250,000
Total Consumer Loans [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Unsecured loans	66,500,000	30,700,000
Impaired loans with related allowance	242,000	83,000
Related allowance of impaired loans	45,000	5,000
Average balance of impaired loans	109,000
Interest income recognized	3,000
Credit Card [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Unsecured loans	9,100,000	9,700,000
Automobile Loans [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Purchase of loans	33,000,000
Commercial Loans [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Recorded Investment	1,900,000
Residential [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Recorded Investment	$ 399,000