Note 4 - Loans - Non-accrual Loans (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Non-accrual portfolio loans	$ 67,684	$ 40,523	$ 41,815
Contractual interest due	2,394	2,084	3,166
Nonaccrual Loans [Member]
Contractual interest due	3,093	1,775	1,618
Interest recognized	1,008	85	66
Net interest foregone	$ 2,085	$ 1,690	$ 1,552

Loans in non-accrual status classified as portfolio loans.

No definition available.

Name:	caty_NonaccrualPortfolioLoans
Namespace Prefix:	caty_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of interest income recognized that the financing receivables (with related allowance for credit losses and without a related allowance for credit losses) were impaired.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 15
-Subparagraph (c)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121611835&loc=d3e5212-111524

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableInterestIncomeAccrualMethod
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of interest income recognized on a cash-basis method of accounting that the financing receivables (with related allowance for credit losses and without a related allowance for credit losses) were impaired.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 15
-Subparagraph (c)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121611835&loc=d3e5212-111524

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableInterestIncomeCashBasisMethod
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Reflects the amount of additional interest income that would have been recorded if impaired or nonperforming loans were instead current, in compliance with their original terms, and outstanding throughout the reporting period or since origination (if held for part of the period).

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 40
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121585226&loc=d3e18794-111554

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LoansAndLeasesReceivableImpairedInterestLostOnNonaccrualLoans
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis=caty_NonaccrualLoansMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: