Name:	nue_ScheduleOfShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsOutstandingByExercisePriceLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	nue_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Share Based Compensation Shares Authorized Under Stock Option Plans Exercise Price

No definition available.

Name:	nue_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansExercisePrice
Namespace Prefix:	nue_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

The number of shares reserved for issuance pertaining to the outstanding exercisable stock options as of the balance sheet date in the customized range of exercise prices for which the market and performance vesting condition has been satisfied.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)(iii)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=96867065&loc=d3e5070-113901

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansExercisePriceRangeNumberOfExercisableOptions
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

The number of shares reserved for issuance pertaining to the outstanding stock options as of the balance sheet date for all option plans in the customized range of exercise prices.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)(1)(i)-(ii)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=96867065&loc=d3e5070-113901

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansExercisePriceRangeNumberOfOutstandingOptions
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

Weighted average remaining contractual term of outstanding stock options, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (e)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=96867065&loc=d3e5070-113901

Name:	us-gaap_SharebasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansExercisePriceRangeOutstandingOptionsWeightedAverageRemainingContractualTerm2
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis=nue_ExercisePriceOneMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis=nue_ExercisePriceTwoMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis=nue_ExercisePriceThreeMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis=nue_ExercisePriceFourMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis=nue_ExercisePriceFiveMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis=nue_ExercisePriceSixMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis=nue_ExercisePriceSevenMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationSharesAuthorizedUnderStockOptionPlansByExercisePriceRangeAxis=nue_ExercisePriceEightMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: