Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheets) (Details) - USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 3,352,000,000	$ 1,333,000,000
Receivables	158,000,000	142,000,000
Inventories:
Leaf tobacco	930,000,000	940,000,000
Other raw materials	190,000,000	186,000,000
Work in process	651,000,000	647,000,000
Finished product	585,000,000	558,000,000
Inventory, net	2,356,000,000	2,331,000,000
Due from Altria and subsidiaries	0	0
Income taxes	3,000,000	167,000,000
Other current assets	393,000,000	326,000,000
Total current assets	6,262,000,000	4,299,000,000
Property, plant and equipment, at cost	4,917,000,000	4,950,000,000
Less accumulated depreciation	2,995,000,000	3,012,000,000
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,922,000,000	1,938,000,000
Goodwill	5,196,000,000	5,196,000,000
Other intangible assets, net	12,327,000,000	12,279,000,000
Investments in equity securities	32,015,000,000	30,496,000,000
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Due from Altria and subsidiaries	0	0
Other assets	1,511,000,000	1,430,000,000
Total Assets	59,233,000,000	55,638,000,000
Liabilities
Short-term borrowings	0	12,704,000,000
Current portion of long-term debt	2,144,000,000	1,144,000,000
Accounts payable	205,000,000	399,000,000
Accrued liabilities:
Marketing	490,000,000	586,000,000
Settlement charges	4,367,000,000	3,454,000,000
Other	1,412,000,000	1,403,000,000
Dividends payable	1,501,000,000	1,503,000,000
Due to Altria and subsidiaries	0	0
Total current liabilities	10,119,000,000	21,193,000,000
Long-term debt	27,024,000,000	11,898,000,000
Deferred income taxes	5,353,000,000	5,172,000,000
Accrued pension costs	497,000,000	544,000,000
Accrued postretirement health care costs	1,764,000,000	1,749,000,000
Due to Altria and subsidiaries	0	0
Other liabilities	357,000,000	254,000,000
Total liabilities	45,114,000,000	40,810,000,000
Contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	38,000,000	39,000,000
Stockholders’ Equity
Common stock	935,000,000	935,000,000
Additional paid-in capital	5,943,000,000	5,961,000,000
Earnings reinvested in the business	43,582,000,000	43,962,000,000
Accumulated other comprehensive losses	(2,717,000,000)	(2,547,000,000)
Cost of repurchased stock	(33,664,000,000)	(33,524,000,000)
Total stockholders’ equity attributable to Altria	14,079,000,000	14,787,000,000
Noncontrolling interests	2,000,000	2,000,000
Total stockholders’ equity	14,081,000,000	14,789,000,000	$ 15,397,000,000	$ 15,380,000,000
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity	59,233,000,000	55,638,000,000
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Altria Group, Inc. [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	3,318,000,000	1,277,000,000
Receivables	0	0
Inventories:
Leaf tobacco	0	0
Other raw materials	0	0
Work in process	0	0
Finished product	0	0
Inventory, net	0	0
Due from Altria and subsidiaries	82,000,000	46,000,000
Income taxes	189,000,000	100,000,000
Other current assets	62,000,000	41,000,000
Total current assets	3,651,000,000	1,464,000,000
Property, plant and equipment, at cost	0	0
Less accumulated depreciation	0	0
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Investments in equity securities	17,476,000,000	17,696,000,000
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	27,378,000,000	25,996,000,000
Due from Altria and subsidiaries	4,790,000,000	4,790,000,000
Other assets	204,000,000	193,000,000
Total Assets	53,499,000,000	50,139,000,000
Liabilities
Short-term borrowings		12,704,000,000
Current portion of long-term debt	2,144,000,000	1,144,000,000
Accounts payable	1,000,000	1,000,000
Accrued liabilities:
Marketing	0	0
Settlement charges	0	0
Other	311,000,000	295,000,000
Dividends payable	1,501,000,000	1,503,000,000
Due to Altria and subsidiaries	5,192,000,000	4,499,000,000
Total current liabilities	9,149,000,000	20,146,000,000
Long-term debt	27,024,000,000	11,898,000,000
Deferred income taxes	2,992,000,000	3,010,000,000
Accrued pension costs	188,000,000	187,000,000
Accrued postretirement health care costs	0	0
Due to Altria and subsidiaries	0	0
Other liabilities	67,000,000	111,000,000
Total liabilities	39,420,000,000	35,352,000,000
Contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0
Stockholders’ Equity
Common stock	935,000,000	935,000,000
Additional paid-in capital	5,943,000,000	5,961,000,000
Earnings reinvested in the business	43,582,000,000	43,962,000,000
Accumulated other comprehensive losses	(2,717,000,000)	(2,547,000,000)
Cost of repurchased stock	(33,664,000,000)	(33,524,000,000)
Total stockholders’ equity attributable to Altria	14,079,000,000	14,787,000,000
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	14,079,000,000	14,787,000,000
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity	53,499,000,000	50,139,000,000
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | PM USA [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Receivables	19,000,000	18,000,000
Inventories:
Leaf tobacco	544,000,000	561,000,000
Other raw materials	122,000,000	123,000,000
Work in process	10,000,000	2,000,000
Finished product	159,000,000	128,000,000
Inventory, net	835,000,000	814,000,000
Due from Altria and subsidiaries	4,574,000,000	3,828,000,000
Income taxes	3,000,000	94,000,000
Other current assets	225,000,000	167,000,000
Total current assets	5,656,000,000	4,921,000,000
Property, plant and equipment, at cost	2,931,000,000	2,928,000,000
Less accumulated depreciation	2,128,000,000	2,111,000,000
Property, plant and equipment, net	803,000,000	817,000,000
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	2,000,000	2,000,000
Investments in equity securities	0	0
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	2,825,000,000	2,825,000,000
Due from Altria and subsidiaries	0	0
Other assets	1,030,000,000	955,000,000
Total Assets	10,316,000,000	9,520,000,000
Liabilities
Short-term borrowings		0
Current portion of long-term debt	0	0
Accounts payable	66,000,000	91,000,000
Accrued liabilities:
Marketing	418,000,000	483,000,000
Settlement charges	4,359,000,000	3,448,000,000
Other	715,000,000	524,000,000
Dividends payable	0	0
Due to Altria and subsidiaries	433,000,000	407,000,000
Total current liabilities	5,991,000,000	4,953,000,000
Long-term debt	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Accrued pension costs	0	0
Accrued postretirement health care costs	1,074,000,000	1,072,000,000
Due to Altria and subsidiaries	0	0
Other liabilities	93,000,000	47,000,000
Total liabilities	7,158,000,000	6,072,000,000
Contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0
Stockholders’ Equity
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	3,310,000,000	3,310,000,000
Earnings reinvested in the business	64,000,000	359,000,000
Accumulated other comprehensive losses	(216,000,000)	(221,000,000)
Cost of repurchased stock	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity attributable to Altria	3,158,000,000	3,448,000,000
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	3,158,000,000	3,448,000,000
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity	10,316,000,000	9,520,000,000
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	34,000,000	56,000,000
Receivables	139,000,000	124,000,000
Inventories:
Leaf tobacco	386,000,000	379,000,000
Other raw materials	68,000,000	63,000,000
Work in process	641,000,000	645,000,000
Finished product	426,000,000	430,000,000
Inventory, net	1,521,000,000	1,517,000,000
Due from Altria and subsidiaries	1,166,000,000	1,194,000,000
Income taxes	0	0
Other current assets	106,000,000	118,000,000
Total current assets	2,966,000,000	3,009,000,000
Property, plant and equipment, at cost	1,986,000,000	2,022,000,000
Less accumulated depreciation	867,000,000	901,000,000
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,119,000,000	1,121,000,000
Goodwill	5,196,000,000	5,196,000,000
Other intangible assets, net	12,325,000,000	12,277,000,000
Investments in equity securities	14,539,000,000	12,800,000,000
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Due from Altria and subsidiaries	0	0
Other assets	947,000,000	952,000,000
Total Assets	37,092,000,000	35,355,000,000
Liabilities
Short-term borrowings		0
Current portion of long-term debt	0	0
Accounts payable	138,000,000	307,000,000
Accrued liabilities:
Marketing	72,000,000	103,000,000
Settlement charges	8,000,000	6,000,000
Other	575,000,000	611,000,000
Dividends payable	0	0
Due to Altria and subsidiaries	197,000,000	162,000,000
Total current liabilities	990,000,000	1,189,000,000
Long-term debt	0	0
Deferred income taxes	3,031,000,000	2,832,000,000
Accrued pension costs	309,000,000	357,000,000
Accrued postretirement health care costs	690,000,000	677,000,000
Due to Altria and subsidiaries	4,790,000,000	4,790,000,000
Other liabilities	197,000,000	96,000,000
Total liabilities	10,007,000,000	9,941,000,000
Contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	38,000,000	39,000,000
Stockholders’ Equity
Common stock	9,000,000	9,000,000
Additional paid-in capital	26,994,000,000	25,047,000,000
Earnings reinvested in the business	1,903,000,000	2,201,000,000
Accumulated other comprehensive losses	(1,861,000,000)	(1,884,000,000)
Cost of repurchased stock	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity attributable to Altria	27,045,000,000	25,373,000,000
Noncontrolling interests	2,000,000	2,000,000
Total stockholders’ equity	27,047,000,000	25,375,000,000
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity	37,092,000,000	35,355,000,000
Total Consolidating Adjustments [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Receivables	0	0
Inventories:
Leaf tobacco	0	0
Other raw materials	0	0
Work in process	0	0
Finished product	0	0
Inventory, net	0	0
Due from Altria and subsidiaries	(5,822,000,000)	(5,068,000,000)
Income taxes	(189,000,000)	(27,000,000)
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	(6,011,000,000)	(5,095,000,000)
Property, plant and equipment, at cost	0	0
Less accumulated depreciation	0	0
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Investments in equity securities	0	0
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	(30,203,000,000)	(28,821,000,000)
Due from Altria and subsidiaries	(4,790,000,000)	(4,790,000,000)
Other assets	(670,000,000)	(670,000,000)
Total Assets	(41,674,000,000)	(39,376,000,000)
Liabilities
Short-term borrowings		0
Current portion of long-term debt	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Accrued liabilities:
Marketing	0	0
Settlement charges	0	0
Other	(189,000,000)	(27,000,000)
Dividends payable	0	0
Due to Altria and subsidiaries	(5,822,000,000)	(5,068,000,000)
Total current liabilities	(6,011,000,000)	(5,095,000,000)
Long-term debt	0	0
Deferred income taxes	(670,000,000)	(670,000,000)
Accrued pension costs	0	0
Accrued postretirement health care costs	0	0
Due to Altria and subsidiaries	(4,790,000,000)	(4,790,000,000)
Other liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	(11,471,000,000)	(10,555,000,000)
Contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0
Stockholders’ Equity
Common stock	(9,000,000)	(9,000,000)
Additional paid-in capital	(30,304,000,000)	(28,357,000,000)
Earnings reinvested in the business	(1,967,000,000)	(2,560,000,000)
Accumulated other comprehensive losses	2,077,000,000	2,105,000,000
Cost of repurchased stock	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity attributable to Altria	(30,203,000,000)	(28,821,000,000)
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	(30,203,000,000)	(28,821,000,000)
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity	$ (41,674,000,000)	$ (39,376,000,000)