Revenue (Impact of New Revenue Guidance on Financial Statements) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Balance Sheet
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash	$ 58,611		$ 58,611
Accounts receivable, net	218,476	$ 186,331	218,476	$ 186,331	$ 183,238
Inventories	495,611	463,205	495,611	463,205	648,703
Commodity derivative assets - current	54,259	11,619	54,259	11,619	30,702
Other current assets	52,464		52,464
Other noncurrent assets	371,368	362,268	371,368	362,268	355,023
Rail Group assets leased to others, net	458,424	375,092	458,424	375,092	423,443
Property, plant and equipment, net	408,575	423,042	408,575	423,042	384,677
Total assets	2,117,788	1,911,425	2,117,788	1,911,425	2,162,354
Short-term debt and current maturities of long-term debt	198,700		198,700
Commodity derivative liabilities - current	356,733		356,733
Commodity derivative liabilities - current	85,160	18,104	85,160	18,104	29,651
Customer prepayments and deferred revenue	16,103	15,113	16,103	15,113	59,710
Commodity derivative liabilities - noncurrent and Other long-term liabilities	33,527		33,527
Employee benefit plan obligations	26,131	36,837	26,131	36,837	26,716
Long-term debt, less current maturities	435,580	354,066	435,580	354,066	418,339
Deferred income taxes	118,864	181,806	118,864	181,806	121,730
Total liabilities	1,270,798	1,163,633	1,270,798	1,163,633	1,339,455
Retained earnings	635,438	570,406	635,438	570,406	633,496
Common shares, additional paid-in-capital, treasury shares, accumulated other comprehensive loss and noncontrolling interests	211,552		211,552
Total equity	846,990	747,792	846,990	747,792	822,899	$ 790,697
Total liabilities and equity	2,117,788	1,911,425	2,117,788	1,911,425	$ 2,162,354
Income Statement Related Disclosures [Abstract]
Sales and merchandising revenues	911,402	993,662	1,547,141	1,845,678
Cost of sales and merchandising revenues	820,928	905,828	1,392,962	1,681,386
Gross profit	90,474	87,834	154,179	164,292
Operating, administrative and general expenses	59,853	69,544	124,110	151,089
Asset impairment	6,272	0	6,272	0
Interest expense	7,825	5,988	14,824	12,088
Equity in earnings (loss) of affiliates, net	9,803	6,385	13,376	4,507
Other income, net	2,828	4,248	4,514	11,743
Income (loss) before income taxes	29,155	(19,065)	26,863	(24,635)
Income tax provision (benefit)	7,742	7,652	7,432	5,117
Net income (loss)	21,413	(26,717)	19,431	(29,752)
Net income (loss) attributable to the noncontrolling interests	(116)	(64)	(398)	(10)
Net income attributable to The Andersons, Inc.	21,529	$ (26,653)	19,829	$ (29,742)
ASC 606 Impact | Revenues under ASC 606
Balance Sheet
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash	0		0
Accounts receivable, net	0		0
Inventories	158		158
Commodity derivative assets - current	0		0
Other current assets	(202)		(202)
Other noncurrent assets	0		0
Rail Group assets leased to others, net	(24,131)		(24,131)
Property, plant and equipment, net	0		0
Total assets	(24,175)		(24,175)
Short-term debt and current maturities of long-term debt	(2,922)		(2,922)
Commodity derivative liabilities - current	0		0
Commodity derivative liabilities - current	0		0
Customer prepayments and deferred revenue	0		0
Commodity derivative liabilities - noncurrent and Other long-term liabilities	0		0
Employee benefit plan obligations	0		0
Long-term debt, less current maturities	(32,597)		(32,597)
Deferred income taxes	2,869		2,869
Total liabilities	(32,650)		(32,650)
Retained earnings	8,475		8,475
Common shares, additional paid-in-capital, treasury shares, accumulated other comprehensive loss and noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total equity	8,475		8,475
Total liabilities and equity	(24,175)		(24,175)
Income Statement Related Disclosures [Abstract]
Sales and merchandising revenues	185,276		349,465
Cost of sales and merchandising revenues	185,765		350,415
Gross profit	(489)		(950)
Operating, administrative and general expenses	0		0
Asset impairment	0		0
Interest expense	(395)		(798)
Equity in earnings (loss) of affiliates, net	0		0
Other income, net	0		0
Income (loss) before income taxes	(94)		(152)
Income tax provision (benefit)	(16)		(38)
Net income (loss)	(78)		(114)
Net income (loss) attributable to the noncontrolling interests	0		0
Net income attributable to The Andersons, Inc.	(78)		(114)
Pro forma as if the previous accounting guidance was in effect
Balance Sheet
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash	58,611		58,611
Accounts receivable, net	218,476		218,476
Inventories	495,769		495,769
Commodity derivative assets - current	54,259		54,259
Other current assets	52,262		52,262
Other noncurrent assets	371,368		371,368
Rail Group assets leased to others, net	434,293		434,293
Property, plant and equipment, net	408,575		408,575
Total assets	2,093,613		2,093,613
Short-term debt and current maturities of long-term debt	195,778		195,778
Commodity derivative liabilities - current	356,733		356,733
Commodity derivative liabilities - current	85,160		85,160
Customer prepayments and deferred revenue	16,103		16,103
Commodity derivative liabilities - noncurrent and Other long-term liabilities	33,527		33,527
Employee benefit plan obligations	26,131		26,131
Long-term debt, less current maturities	402,983		402,983
Deferred income taxes	121,733		121,733
Total liabilities	1,238,148		1,238,148
Retained earnings	643,913		643,913
Common shares, additional paid-in-capital, treasury shares, accumulated other comprehensive loss and noncontrolling interests	211,552		211,552
Total equity	855,465		855,465
Total liabilities and equity	2,093,613		2,093,613
Income Statement Related Disclosures [Abstract]
Sales and merchandising revenues	1,096,678		1,896,606
Cost of sales and merchandising revenues	1,006,693		1,743,377
Gross profit	89,985		153,229
Operating, administrative and general expenses	59,853		124,110
Asset impairment	6,272		6,272
Interest expense	7,430		(14,026)
Equity in earnings (loss) of affiliates, net	9,803		13,376
Other income, net	2,828		4,514
Income (loss) before income taxes	29,061		26,711
Income tax provision (benefit)	7,726		7,394
Net income (loss)	21,335		19,317
Net income (loss) attributable to the noncontrolling interests	(116)		(398)
Net income attributable to The Andersons, Inc.	$ 21,451		$ 19,715