Note 8 - Loans - Troubled Debt Restructuring (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2020 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2019 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2020 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2019 USD ($)
No. of Contracts	2	3	5	23
Pre-Modification Outstanding Recorded Investment	$ 2,983	$ 7,585	$ 5,417	$ 25,937
Post-Modification Outstanding Recorded Investment	2,983	6,165	5,417	10,814
Charge-offs	0	0	0	0
Commercial loans	$ 203	$ 89	$ 203	$ 125
Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member]
No. of Contracts	2	3	5	23
Pre-Modification Outstanding Recorded Investment	$ 2,983	$ 7,585	$ 5,417	$ 25,937
Post-Modification Outstanding Recorded Investment	2,983	6,165	5,417	10,814
Charge-offs	0	0	0	0
Commercial loans	$ 203	$ 89	$ 203	$ 125

Reflects the amount of the specific reserve related to a troubled debt restructuring.

No definition available.

Name:	caty_FinancingReceivablesImpairedTroubledDebtRestructuringSpecificReserve
Namespace Prefix:	caty_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Number of financing receivables that have been modified by troubled debt restructurings.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 33
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121611835&loc=SL6953676-111524

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount, after troubled debt restructuring, of modified financing receivable.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsPostModificationRecordedInvestment2
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount, before troubled debt restructuring, of financing receivable to be modified.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsPreModificationRecordedInvestment2
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Reflects the amount of the write-down related to a troubled debt restructuring.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 40
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121585226&loc=d3e18845-111554

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: