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Debt and Other Financing Arrangements - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)						12 Months Ended
	Aug. 15, 2022	May 23, 2022	Apr. 25, 2022	Mar. 11, 2022	Nov. 05, 2021	Dec. 31, 2022	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2021
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Annual aggregate long-term debt maturities - 2023						$ 10,000,000.0
Annual aggregate long-term debt maturities - 2024						10,000,000.0
Annual aggregate long-term debt maturities - 2025						1,010,000,000.00
Annual aggregate long-term debt maturities - 2026						31,500,000
Annual aggregate long-term debt maturities - 2027						527,900,000
Annual aggregate long-term debt maturities - thereafter						$ 5,080,000,000.00
Ratio funded debt to total capital						25.00%
Net proceeds of debt issuance and sale of notes after expenses and the underwriting discount		$ 991,900,000		$ 1,090,000,000.00
Debt issuance and sale costs of Notes		5,900,000		15,300,000		$ 43,471,000		$ 27,299,000
Redemption amount						1,111,000,000	$ 97,150,000
Short-term borrowings						49,081,000		107,723,000
Letters of credit outstanding						43,500,000		98,700,000
Harris Steel [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility maximum borrowing capacity						18,300,000
Line of credit						0		0
Nucor Trading S.A. [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Short-term borrowings						49,100,000		107,700,000
Notes, 3.125%, due 2032 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument face amount				$ 550,000,000.0		$ 550,000,000
Debt instrument interest rate				3.125%		3.125%
Debt instrument - maturity year				2032		2032
Notes, 3.850%, due 2052 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument face amount				$ 550,000,000.0		$ 550,000,000
Debt instrument interest rate				3.85%		3.85%
Debt instrument - maturity year				2052		2052
Notes, 4.125%, due 2022 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument face amount				$ 600,000,000.0				600,000,000
Debt instrument interest rate				4.125%		4.125%
Debt instrument - maturity year				2022		2022
Redemption amount	$ 600,000,000.0
Notes, 4.000%, due 2023 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument face amount				$ 500,000,000.0				500,000,000
Debt instrument interest rate				4.00%		4.00%
Debt instrument - maturity year				2023		2023
Redemption amount			$ 500,000,000.0
Notes, 3.950%, due 2025 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument face amount		$ 500,000,000.0				$ 500,000,000
Debt instrument interest rate		3.95%				3.95%
Debt instrument - maturity year		2025				2025
Notes, 4.300%, due 2027 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument face amount		$ 500,000,000.0				$ 500,000,000
Debt instrument interest rate		4.30%				4.30%
Debt instrument - maturity year		2027				2027
Amended and Restated Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility maximum borrowing capacity						$ 1,750,000,000	$ 1,500,000,000	1,750,000,000
Line of revolving credit facility expiration date					Nov. 05, 2026
Ratio on the limit of funded debt to capital on credit facility					60.00%
Line of credit						0		$ 0
Letter of Credit [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility maximum borrowing capacity					$ 100,000,000.0
Additional Commitments at Nucor's Election in Accordance with Terms of Credit Agreement [Member] \| Amended and Restated Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility availability					$ 500,000,000.0
Revolving Loans For Nucor Subsidiaries [Member] \| Amended and Restated Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility maximum borrowing capacity						$ 500,000,000.0