Notes Payable - Maturities (Details) - Notes and bonds payable - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021
Maturity of notes and bonds payable
2024	$ 850,000
2025	1,050,000
2026	1,575,000
Thereafter	9,657,000
Totals	$ 13,132,000	$ 12,257,000

Long Term Debt, Maturities, Repayments Of Principal After Year Four

No definition available.

Name:	o_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalAfterYearFour
Namespace Prefix:	o_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount, before unamortized (discount) premium and debt issuance costs, of long-term debt. Includes, but is not limited to, notes payable, bonds payable, commercial loans, mortgage loans, convertible debt, subordinated debt and other types of debt.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 470
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (b)(1)
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123466204&loc=SL6031897-161870

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03(16))
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=126734703&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(22))
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120391452&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 4: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(16))
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=126897435&loc=d3e534808-122878

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongTermDebtByMaturityAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of long-term debt payable, sinking fund requirement, and other securities issued that are redeemable by holder at fixed or determinable price and date, maturing in fourth fiscal year following current fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported from current statement of financial position date (rolling approach).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 470
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1E
-Subparagraph (d)
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123466505&loc=SL123495348-112611

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 470
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123465755&loc=d3e1835-112601

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (SX 210.12-04(a))
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120395691&loc=d3e24072-122690

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInYearFour
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of long-term debt payable, sinking fund requirement, and other securities issued that are redeemable by holder at fixed or determinable price and date, maturing in third fiscal year following current fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported from current statement of financial position date (rolling approach).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 470
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1E
-Subparagraph (d)
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123466505&loc=SL123495348-112611

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (SX 210.12-04(a))
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120395691&loc=d3e24072-122690

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 470
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123465755&loc=d3e1835-112601

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInYearThree
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of long-term debt payable, sinking fund requirement, and other securities issued that are redeemable by holder at fixed or determinable price and date, maturing in second fiscal year following current fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported from current statement of financial position date (rolling approach).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 470
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1E
-Subparagraph (d)
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123466505&loc=SL123495348-112611

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (SX 210.12-04(a))
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120395691&loc=d3e24072-122690

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 470
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123465755&loc=d3e1835-112601

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongTermDebtMaturitiesRepaymentsOfPrincipalInYearTwo
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=us-gaap_NotesPayableToBanksMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: