Allowance For Credit Losses (Summary Of Activity In The Allowance For Loan Losses) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Losses [Line Items]
Beginning balance	$ 124,704		$ 101,990
Loans charged-off	(48,715)	[1]	(33,659)
Charged-off loans recovered	5,061		7,052
Net charge-offs	(43,654)		(26,607)
Provision for loan losses	52,752	[2]	49,321	[2]
Ending balance	133,802		124,704
Commercial And Industrial [Member]
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Losses [Line Items]
Beginning balance	61,967		49,267
Loans charged-off	(29,229)	[1]	(15,475)
Charged-off loans recovered	2,365		4,121
Net charge-offs	(26,864)		(11,354)
Provision for loan losses	38,546	[2]	24,054	[2]
Ending balance	73,649		61,967
Total Commercial Real Estate [Member]
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Losses [Line Items]
Beginning balance	30,409		25,516
Loans charged-off	(10,358)	[1]	(3,561)
Charged-off loans recovered	331		156
Net charge-offs	(10,027)		(3,405)
Provision for loan losses	14,255	[2]	8,298	[2]
Ending balance	34,637		30,409
Residential Mortgage Loans [Member]
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Losses [Line Items]
Beginning balance	9,476		5,397
Loans charged-off	(3,222)	[1]	(3,741)
Charged-off loans recovered	129		97
Net charge-offs	(3,093)		(3,644)
Provision for loan losses	2,737	[2]	7,723	[2]
Ending balance	9,120		9,476
Consumer [Member]
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Losses [Line Items]
Beginning balance	14,499		15,480
Loans charged-off	(5,906)	[1]	(10,882)
Charged-off loans recovered	2,236		2,678
Net charge-offs	(3,670)		(8,204)
Provision for loan losses	(2,152)	[2]	7,223	[2]
Ending balance	8,677		14,499
Unallocated [Member]
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Losses [Line Items]
Beginning balance	8,353		6,330
Provision for loan losses	(634)	[2]	2,023	[2]
Ending balance	$ 7,719		$ 8,353

[1] The allowance for covered loans was reduced by loan charge-offs totaling $14.4 million during 2011. There were no charge-offs of covered loans during 2010. See Note 1 for Valley's loan charge-off policies for covered and non-covered loans.

[2] The provision for covered loan losses totaled $21.5 million and $6.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively.