Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income - Reclassifications Out of AOCI (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Interest income — Loans	$ 1,066	$ 940
Interest expense — Long-term debt	(120)	(92)
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes	496	486
Income taxes	82	62
Personnel expense	563	594
INCOME (LOSS) FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS	406	416
Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member] \| Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Derivative Financial Instruments [Member]
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes	(25)	(3)
Income taxes	(6)	(1)
INCOME (LOSS) FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS	(19)	(2)
Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member] \| Net Pension and Postretirement Benefit Costs [Member]
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes	(4)	(4)
Income taxes	(1)	(1)
INCOME (LOSS) FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS	(3)	(3)
Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member] \| Net Pension and Postretirement Benefit Costs [Member] \| Amortization of Losses [Member]
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Personnel expense	(4)	(4)
Interest Income [Member] \| Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member] \| Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Derivative Financial Instruments [Member] \| Interest Rate [Member]
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Interest income — Loans	(24)	(2)
Interest Expense [Member] \| Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member] \| Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Derivative Financial Instruments [Member]
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Interest expense — Long-term debt	$ (1)	$ (1)

Amount of income (loss) from continuing operations before deduction of income tax expense (benefit) and income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest, and addition of income (loss) from equity method investments.

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(h)(1)(i))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount after tax of income (loss) from continuing operations including portion attributable to the noncontrolling interest.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 810
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 19
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=108774443&loc=SL4569616-111683

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of current income tax expense (benefit) and deferred income tax expense (benefit) pertaining to continuing operations.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 280
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 22
-Subparagraph (h)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=115929826&loc=d3e8736-108599

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08(h))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109238882&loc=d3e38679-109324

+ Details

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

- Definition

Interest and fee income generated by loans the Entity intends and has the ability to hold for the foreseeable future, or until maturity or payoff, including commercial and consumer loans, whether domestic or foreign, which may consist of: (1) industrial and agricultural; (2) real estate; and (3) real estate construction loans; (4) trade financing; (5) lease financing; (6) home equity lines-of-credit; (7) automobile and other vehicle loans; and (8) credit card and other revolving-type loans. Also includes interest income for leases held by the Entity.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 220
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-04.1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114873765&loc=SL114874048-224260

+ Details

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

- Definition

Aggregate amount of interest paid or due on all long-term debt.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 220
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-04.8)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114873765&loc=SL114874048-224260

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of expense for salary, wage, profit sharing; incentive and equity-based compensation; and other employee benefit.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03(b)(4))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=115205541&loc=SL114868664-224227

+ Details

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

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ReclassificationAdjustmentOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeAxis=us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis=us-gaap_AccumulatedGainLossNetCashFlowHedgeParentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis=us-gaap_AccumulatedDefinedBenefitPlansAdjustmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=key_AmortizationMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis=us-gaap_InterestIncomeMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=us-gaap_InterestRateContractMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis=us-gaap_InterestExpenseMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: