Goodwill And Other Intangible Assets (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010		Dec. 31, 2009
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Goodwill recorded	$ 71,000	[1]	$ 21,467,000	[1]
Goodwill impairment	0		0		0
Impairment of core deposits and intangibles	0		0		0
Amortization expenses	$ 9,300,000		$ 7,700,000		$ 6,900,000
Core Deposits [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Weighted average amortization period, years	10
Others [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Weighted average amortization period, years	16

[1] Valley's Wealth Management Division is comprised of trust, asset management, and insurance services. This reporting unit is included in the Consumer Lending segment for financial reporting purposes.