Debt And Credit Facilities (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Jan. 28, 2012	Jan. 29, 2011	Jan. 30, 2010
Book value of office building used to secure mortgage payable	$ 73,000,000
Net proceeds from the offering	824,000,000	498,000,000	399,000,000
Prepaid expenses and other	282,000,000	79,000,000
Total secured debt	888,000,000	569,000,000
Proceeds from sale of interest rate swap	72,000,000
Series 2007-2 Class A And Class B Notes [Member]
Prepaid expenses and other	200,000,000
Total secured debt	500,000,000
Series 2007-2 Class A Notes, One-Month LIBOR Plus 0.06% Per Year, Due April 2012 [Member]
Additional percentage above base interest rate	0.06%	0.06%
Maturity date	April 2012	April 2012
Total secured debt	454,000,000	454,000,000
Interest rate for debt instruments	one-month LIBOR plus 0.06% per year	one-month LIBOR plus 0.06% per year
Series 2007-2 Class B Notes, One-Month LIBOR Plus 0.18% Per Year, Due April 2012 [Member]
Additional percentage above base interest rate	0.18%	0.18%
Maturity date	April 2012	April 2012
Total secured debt	46,000,000	46,000,000
Interest rate for debt instruments	one-month LIBOR plus 0.18% per year	one-month LIBOR plus 0.18% per year
Series 2007-A Variable Funding Note Facility [Member]
Additional percentage above base interest rate	0.35%
Unsecured revolving credit facility, expiration date	January 2013
Current borrowing capacity	200,000,000
Outstanding borrowings or issuances	0	0
Interest rate for debt instruments	one-month LIBOR plus 35 basis points
Remaining borrowing capacity	200,000,000
Nordstrom Federal Savings Bank Variable Funding Facility [Member]
Current borrowing capacity	100,000,000
Outstanding borrowings or issuances	0	0
Senior Notes, 4.75%, Due May 2020, Net Of Unamortized Discount [Member]
Debt instrument interest rate	4.75%	4.75%
Maturity date	May 2020	May 2020
Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Unsecured revolving credit facility, expiration date	June 2016
Maximum borrowing capacity	700,000,000
Current borrowing capacity	600,000,000
Option to increase the maximum capacity of revolving credit facility	100,000,000
Outstanding borrowings or issuances	0	0
Covenant terms of credit facility agreement	The revolver requires that we maintain a leverage ratio, defined as Adjusted Debt to Earnings before Interest, Income Taxes, Depreciation, Amortization and Rent ("EBITDAR"), of less than four times.
Covenant compliance of credit facility agreement	As of January 28, 2012, we were in compliance with this covenant.
Previous Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Unsecured revolving credit facility, expiration date	August 2012
Current borrowing capacity	650,000,000
Interest Rate Swap [Member]
Accumulated adjustments to the associated debt, amortized as a reduction of interest expense	72,000,000
Notional amount of interest rate swap agreements	650,000,000
Fixed interest rate	6.25%
Type of interest rate paid on swap	Variable
Variable rate basis	one-month LIBOR
Basis spread on variable rate	2.90%
Maturity date	2018
Proceeds from sale of interest rate swap	72,000,000
Senior Notes, 4.00%, Due October 2021, Net Of Unamortized Discount [Member]
Senior unsecured notes issued	500,000,000
Debt instrument interest rate	4.00%
Original issue discount	1,000,000
Net proceeds from the offering	499,000,000
Maturity date	October 2021
Series 2011-1 Class A Notes, 2.28%, Due October 2016 [Member]
Senior unsecured notes issued	325,000,000
Debt instrument interest rate	2.28%
Maturity date	October 2016
Total secured debt	325,000,000
Commercial Paper Program [Member]
Current borrowing capacity	600,000,000
Outstanding borrowings or issuances	0	0
Previous Borrowing Facility [Member] | 2007-A Variable Funding Note Facility [Member]
Current borrowing capacity	300,000,000
Short-Term Borrowings [Member]
Total short-term borrowing capacity	$ 800,000,000
Restricted [Member] | Series 2007-2 Class A And Class B Notes [Member] | Nordstrom Private Label Card Receivables [Member]
Description of company interest in credit card receivables used as collateral to secure debt instrument	all
Restricted [Member] | Series 2007-2 Class A And Class B Notes [Member] | Nordstrom VISA Card Receivables [Member]
Percentage of company interest in credit card receivables used as collateral to secure debt	90.00%
Restricted [Member] | Series 2007-A Variable Funding Note Facility [Member] | Nordstrom Private Label Card Receivables [Member]
Description of company interest in credit card receivables used as collateral to secure debt instrument	all
Restricted [Member] | Series 2007-A Variable Funding Note Facility [Member] | Nordstrom VISA Card Receivables [Member]
Percentage of company interest in credit card receivables used as collateral to secure debt	90.00%
Restricted [Member] | Nordstrom Federal Savings Bank Variable Funding Facility [Member] | Nordstrom VISA Card Receivables [Member]
Percentage of company interest in credit card receivables used as collateral to secure debt	10.00%
Restricted [Member] | Series 2011-1 Class A Notes, 2.28%, Due October 2016 [Member] | Nordstrom Private Label Card Receivables [Member]
Description of company interest in credit card receivables used as collateral to secure debt instrument	all
Restricted [Member] | Series 2011-1 Class A Notes, 2.28%, Due October 2016 [Member] | Nordstrom VISA Card Receivables [Member]
Percentage of company interest in credit card receivables used as collateral to secure debt	90.00%