Restatement of the Unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements (Income Statement Restatement) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2015	Oct. 31, 2014	Oct. 31, 2015	Oct. 31, 2014
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Cost of sales	$ 50,639	$ 66,953	$ 150,213	$ 206,524
Gross profit	16,972	24,339	55,189	81,763
Goodwill impairment loss	11,497	0	11,497	0
Long-lived asset impairment loss	3,813	0	3,813	0
Operating (loss) income	(9,823)	10,159	3,820	37,387
(Loss) income before income taxes	(9,946)	10,087	3,387	37,177
Income taxes (benefit) provision	(3,780)	3,290	471	11,599
Net (loss) income	(6,166)	6,797	2,916	25,578
Net (loss) income attributable to Raven Industries, Inc.	$ (6,188)	$ 6,783	$ 2,858	$ 25,540
Net (loss) income per common share:
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ (0.17)	$ 0.19	$ 0.08	$ 0.70
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ (0.17)	$ 0.18	$ 0.08	$ 0.70
Comprehensive income (loss)	$ (3,370)	$ 6,358	$ 5,739	$ 25,064
Comprehensive income attributable to Raven Industries, Inc.	(3,392)	$ 6,344	5,681	$ 25,026
As Previously Reported [Member]
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Cost of sales	51,440		151,014
Gross profit	16,171		54,388
Goodwill impairment loss	7,413		7,413
Long-lived asset impairment loss	0		0
Operating (loss) income	(2,727)		10,916
(Loss) income before income taxes	(2,850)		10,483
Income taxes (benefit) provision	(1,291)		2,960
Net (loss) income	(1,559)		7,523
Net (loss) income attributable to Raven Industries, Inc.	$ (1,581)		$ 7,465
Net (loss) income per common share:
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ (0.04)		$ 0.20
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ (0.04)		$ 0.20
Comprehensive income (loss)	$ 1,237		$ 10,346
Comprehensive income attributable to Raven Industries, Inc.	1,215		10,288
Restatement Adjustments [Member]
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Cost of sales	(801)		(801)
Gross profit	801		801
Goodwill impairment loss	4,084		4,084
Long-lived asset impairment loss	3,813		3,813
Operating (loss) income	(7,096)		(7,096)
(Loss) income before income taxes	(7,096)		(7,096)
Income taxes (benefit) provision	(2,489)		(2,489)
Net (loss) income	(4,607)		(4,607)
Net (loss) income attributable to Raven Industries, Inc.	$ (4,607)		$ (4,607)
Net (loss) income per common share:
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ (0.13)		$ (0.12)
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ (0.13)		$ (0.12)
Comprehensive income (loss)	$ (4,607)		$ (4,607)
Comprehensive income attributable to Raven Industries, Inc.	$ (4,607)		$ (4,607)