Debt of the Operating Partnership Debt Maturities (Details) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011
Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc [Member]
Schedule of Maturities of Debt [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	$ 1,052,821,000		$ 1,025,542,000
Senior Notes	547,964,000		547,763,000
Tanger Properties Limited Partnership [Member]
Schedule of Maturities of Debt [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Next Twelve Months	657,000
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Two	4,633,000
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Three	3,600,000
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Four	419,108,000
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Five	30,279,000
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal after Year Five	590,533,000
Long-term Debt, Gross	1,048,810,000		1,021,037,000
Debt Instrument, Unamortized Discount	(4,011,000)		(4,505,000)
Long-term Debt	1,052,821,000		1,025,542,000
Senior Notes	547,964,000		547,763,000
Unsecured Term Loan [Member] | Tanger Properties Limited Partnership [Member]
Schedule of Maturities of Debt [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	Feb. 23, 2019
Debt Instrument, Unamortized Discount	0	[1]	0	[1]
Long-term Debt	250,000,000	[1]	0	[1]
Atlantic City Outlets The Walk [Member] | Tanger Properties Limited Partnership [Member]
Schedule of Maturities of Debt [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Unamortized Discount	(4,596,000)	[2]	(4,894,000)	[2]
3.75% Senior Exchangeable Notes [Member] | Tanger Properties Limited Partnership [Member]
Schedule of Maturities of Debt [Line Items]
Senior Notes	0
Debt [Member] | Unsecured Term Loan [Member] | Tanger Properties Limited Partnership [Member]
Schedule of Maturities of Debt [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	$ 250,000,000

[1] Our term loan is pre-payable without penalty beginning in February of 2015.

[2] The effective interest rates assigned during the purchase price allocation to these assumed mortgages and note payable during acquisitions in 2011 were as follows: Atlantic City 5.05%, Ocean City 4.68%, Hershey 3.40% and note payable 3.15%.