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Fair Value Measurements - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)
1 Months Ended 3 Months Ended
Apr. 30, 2014
Mar. 31, 2015
Mar. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2014
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]        
Available for sale securities portfolio, value   $ 30,945,700,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities   $ 29,558,500,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities
Trading account securities   1,400,000us-gaap_TradingSecurities   4,700,000us-gaap_TradingSecurities
Settlement of contingent consideration 55,300,000us-gaap_BusinessCombinationContingentConsiderationArrangementsChangeInAmountOfContingentConsiderationLiability1      
Transfers into Level 3 assets   0us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementWithUnobservableInputsReconciliationRecurringBasisAssetTransfersIntoLevel3 0us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementWithUnobservableInputsReconciliationRecurringBasisAssetTransfersIntoLevel3  
Transfers out of Level 3 assets   0us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementWithUnobservableInputsReconciliationRecurringBasisAssetTransfersOutOfLevel3 0us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementWithUnobservableInputsReconciliationRecurringBasisAssetTransfersOutOfLevel3  
Transfers into Level 3 liabilities   0us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementWithUnobservableInputsReconciliationLiabilityTransfersIntoLevel3 0us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementWithUnobservableInputsReconciliationLiabilityTransfersIntoLevel3  
Transfers out of Level 3 liabilities   0us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementWithUnobservableInputsReconciliationLiabilityTransfersOutOfLevel3 0us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementWithUnobservableInputsReconciliationLiabilityTransfersOutOfLevel3  
Level 2        
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]        
Number of available for sale securities portfolio   924us-gaap_InvestmentOwnedBalanceContracts
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= ntrs_Level2Member
  881us-gaap_InvestmentOwnedBalanceContracts
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= ntrs_Level2Member
Available for sale securities portfolio, value   26,300,000,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= ntrs_Level2Member
  25,000,000,000us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= ntrs_Level2Member
Loans | Level 3        
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]        
Financial Instrument, fair value   23,100,000ntrs_FairValueMeasurementWithUnobservableInputsReconciliationNonRecurringBasisAssetAndLiabilities
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= ntrs_Level3Member
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= us-gaap_LoansMember
33,300,000ntrs_FairValueMeasurementWithUnobservableInputsReconciliationNonRecurringBasisAssetAndLiabilities
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= ntrs_Level3Member
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= us-gaap_LoansMember
 
Other Real Estate Owned | Level 3        
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]        
Financial Instrument, fair value   300,000ntrs_FairValueMeasurementWithUnobservableInputsReconciliationNonRecurringBasisAssetAndLiabilities
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= ntrs_Level3Member
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= ntrs_OtherRealEstateOwnedMember
1,500,000ntrs_FairValueMeasurementWithUnobservableInputsReconciliationNonRecurringBasisAssetAndLiabilities
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= ntrs_Level3Member
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= ntrs_OtherRealEstateOwnedMember
 
External Pricing | Level 2        
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]        
Number of available for sale securities portfolio   924us-gaap_InvestmentOwnedBalanceContracts
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= ntrs_Level2Member
/ us-gaap_ValuationTechniqueAxis
= ntrs_ExternalPricingMember
  881us-gaap_InvestmentOwnedBalanceContracts
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= ntrs_Level2Member
/ us-gaap_ValuationTechniqueAxis
= ntrs_ExternalPricingMember
Trading account securities   $ 1,400,000us-gaap_TradingSecurities
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= ntrs_Level2Member
/ us-gaap_ValuationTechniqueAxis
= ntrs_ExternalPricingMember
  $ 4,700,000us-gaap_TradingSecurities
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= ntrs_Level2Member
/ us-gaap_ValuationTechniqueAxis
= ntrs_ExternalPricingMember