Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2016
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation	Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation Packaging Corporation of America ("we," "us," "our," PCA," or the "Company") was incorporated on January 25, 1999. In April 1999, PCA acquired the containerboard and corrugated packaging products business of Pactiv Corporation (Pactiv), formerly known as Tenneco Packaging, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Tenneco Inc. We are a large diverse manufacturer of both packaging and paper products. We are headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois and we operate primarily in the United States. We report our business in three reportable segments: Packaging, Paper, and Corporate and Other. Our Packaging segment produces a wide variety of corrugated packaging products. The Paper segment manufactures and sells a range of papers, including communication-based papers and pressure sensitive papers (collectively, white papers) and market pulp. Corporate and Other includes support staff services and related assets and liabilities, transportation assets, and activity related to other ancillary support operations. For more information about our segments, see Note 15 Segment Information. In these consolidated financial statements, certain amounts in prior periods' consolidated financial statements have been reclassified to conform with the current period presentation. Effective January 1, 2016, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2015-03 (Topic 835): Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs. This ASU conforms the presentation of debt issuance costs with that required for debt discounts under U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). Under the ASU, debt issuance costs are presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the related liability rather than as an asset. We applied this guidance retrospectively, as required, and reclassified $12.3 million from "Other long-term assets" to "Long-term debt" on our December 31, 2015 Consolidated Balance Sheet to conform with current period presentation. At March 31, 2016 deferred financing costs were $11.9 million. The consolidated financial statements of PCA as of March 31, 2016 and for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 are unaudited but include all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) that management considers necessary for a fair presentation of such financial statements. The preparation of the consolidated financial statements involves the use of estimates and accruals. Actual results may vary from those estimates. These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States for interim financial information and with Article 10 of SEC Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States for complete audited financial statements. Operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2016 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2016. These consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of PCA and its majority-owned subsidiaries after elimination of intercompany balances and transactions.

Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation

Packaging Corporation of America ("we," "us," "our," PCA," or the "Company") was incorporated on January 25, 1999. In April 1999, PCA acquired the containerboard and corrugated packaging products business of Pactiv Corporation (Pactiv), formerly known as Tenneco Packaging, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Tenneco Inc. We are a large diverse manufacturer of both packaging and paper products. We are headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois and we operate primarily in the United States.

We report our business in three reportable segments: Packaging, Paper, and Corporate and Other. Our Packaging segment produces a wide variety of corrugated packaging products. The Paper segment manufactures and sells a range of papers, including communication-based papers and pressure sensitive papers (collectively, white papers) and market pulp. Corporate and Other includes support staff services and related assets and liabilities, transportation assets, and activity related to other ancillary support operations. For more information about our segments, see Note 15 Segment Information.

In these consolidated financial statements, certain amounts in prior periods' consolidated financial statements have been reclassified to conform with the current period presentation.

Effective January 1, 2016, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2015-03 (Topic 835): Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs. This ASU conforms the presentation of debt issuance costs with that required for debt discounts under U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). Under the ASU, debt issuance costs are presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the related liability rather than as an asset. We applied this guidance retrospectively, as required, and reclassified $12.3 million from "Other long-term assets" to "Long-term debt" on our December 31, 2015 Consolidated Balance Sheet to conform with current period presentation. At March 31, 2016 deferred financing costs were $11.9 million.

The consolidated financial statements of PCA as of March 31, 2016 and for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 are unaudited but include all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) that management considers necessary for a fair presentation of such financial statements. The preparation of the consolidated financial statements involves the use of estimates and accruals. Actual results may vary from those estimates. These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States for interim financial information and with Article 10 of SEC Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States for complete audited financial statements. Operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2016 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2016. These consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015.

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of PCA and its majority-owned subsidiaries after elimination of intercompany balances and transactions.