Debt, Financing Arrangements and Leases (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended					12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2013 Williams Partners L.P. [Member]	Jul. 31, 2013 $2.4 billion credit facility [Member] Williams Partners L.P. [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 $2.5 billion credit facility [Member]	Jul. 31, 2013 $2.5 billion credit facility [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 $2.5 billion credit facility [Member] Williams Partners L.P. [Member]	Jul. 31, 2013 $2.5 billion credit facility [Member] Williams Partners L.P. [Member]	Jul. 31, 2013 $2.5 billion credit facility [Member] Williams Partners L.P. [Member] Letter of credit [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Commercial paper [Member] Williams Partners L.P. [Member]	Jul. 13, 2012 4.45% senior unsecured notes due 2042 [Member]	Jul. 15, 2012 8.875% senior unsecured notes due 2012 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Debentures	Dec. 31, 2012 Debentures	Dec. 31, 2013 Debentures 7.08% due 2026 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Debentures 7.08% due 2026 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Debentures 7.25% due 2026 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Debentures 7.25% due 2026 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Notes	Dec. 31, 2012 Notes	Dec. 31, 2013 Notes 6.4% due 2016 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Notes 6.4% due 2016 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Notes 6.05% due 2018 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Notes 6.05% due 2018 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Notes 5.4% due 2041 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Notes 5.4% due 2041 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Notes 4.45% due 2042 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Notes 4.45% due 2042 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt issues	$ 1,432,500,000	$ 1,432,500,000												$ 207,500,000	$ 207,500,000	$ 7,500,000	$ 7,500,000	$ 200,000,000	$ 200,000,000	$ 1,225,000,000	$ 1,225,000,000	$ 200,000,000	$ 200,000,000	$ 250,000,000	$ 250,000,000	$ 375,000,000	$ 375,000,000	$ 400,000,000	$ 400,000,000
Unamortized debt premium and discount	(4,145,000)	(4,177,000)
Total long-term debt, less current maturities	1,428,355,000	1,428,323,000
Debt instrument, face amount												400,000,000	325,000,000
Debt instrument, interest rate, stated percentage												4.45%	8.875%
Long-term Debt, Fiscal Year Maturity [Abstract]
2014	0
2015	0
2016: 6.4% Notes	200,000,000
2017	0
2018: 6.05% Notes	250,000,000
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity					2,400,000,000		500,000,000		2,500,000,000	1,300,000,000	2,000,000,000
Additional amount by which credit facility can be increased									500,000,000
Letters of credit outstanding, amount								0
Line of credit facility, amount outstanding								0
Line of credit facility, remaining borrowing capacity						500,000,000
Debt to EBITDA, ratio								5.0
Debt to EBITDA, after acquisitions, ratio								5.5
Purchase price of acquistions increasing debt to EBITDA ratio, aggregate								50,000,000
Ratio of indebtedness to net capital	0.65
Line of credit facility, unused capacity, commitment fee percentage						0.20%
Commercial paper				225,000,000
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due, Fiscal Year Maturity [Abstract]
2014	10,154,000
2015	10,025,000
2016	10,025,000
2017	9,971,000
2018	9,956,000
Thereafter	22,401,000
Total net minimum obligations	72,532,000
Operating leases, rent expense	$ 11,400,000	$ 10,900,000	$ 9,100,000