Name:	caty_FinancialLiabilitiesAbstract0
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Period Type:	duration

Other borrowings fair value disclosure.

No definition available.

Name:	caty_OtherBorrowingsFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	caty_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Warrants, fair value disclosure.

No definition available.

Name:	caty_WarrantsFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	caty_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Amount of investment in debt and equity securities categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 25
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51813488&loc=d3e22054-111558

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph (aa)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27724398&loc=d3e27232-111563

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49167202&loc=d3e26610-111562

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities
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Period Type:	instant

Fair value portion of currency on hand as well as demand deposits with banks or financial institutions. Includes other kinds of accounts that have the general characteristics of demand deposits. Also includes short-term, highly liquid investments that are both readily convertible to known amounts of cash and so near their maturity that they present insignificant risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Cash
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6506951

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Cash Equivalents
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6507016

Name:	us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsFairValueDisclosure
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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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Period Type:	instant

Fair value portion of deposit liabilities held by the entity, including, but not limited to, foreign and domestic, interest and noninterest bearing, demand deposits, saving deposits, negotiable orders of withdrawal (NOW) and time deposits.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_DepositsFairValueDisclosure
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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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Period Type:	instant

Fair value portion of borrowing from Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLBank).

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.13(3)(a))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

Name:	us-gaap_FederalHomeLoanBankBorrowingsFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Fair value portion of investments in Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLBank) stock.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 325
-SubTopic 20
-Section 25
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=29638263&loc=d3e39828-111592

Name:	us-gaap_InvestmentInFederalHomeLoanBankStockFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
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Period Type:	instant

Fair value portion of loans held-for-sale including, but not limited to, mortgage loans and finance receivables.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_LoansHeldForSaleFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Fair value portion of loan receivable, including, but not limited to, mortgage loans held for investment, finance receivables held for investment, policy loans on insurance contracts.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Glossary Loan
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6517073

Name:	us-gaap_LoansReceivableFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

The fair value amount of long-term debt whether such amount is presented as a separate caption or as a parenthetical disclosure. Additionally, this element may be used in connection with the fair value disclosures required in the footnote disclosures to the financial statements. The element may be used in both the balance sheet and disclosure in the same submission.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_LongTermDebtFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Fair value portion of securities that an entity sells and agrees to repurchase at a specified date for a specified price.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 10
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49121117&loc=d3e13433-108611

Name:	us-gaap_SecuritiesLoanedOrSoldUnderAgreementsToRepurchaseFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Investments which are intended to be sold in the short term (usually less than one year or the normal operating cycle, whichever is longer) including trading securities, available-for-sale securities, held-to-maturity securities, and other short-term investments not otherwise listed in the existing taxonomy.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 03
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph g
-Article 7