v2.4.0.8

Business Segments (Narrative) (Details) (USD $) | 3 Months Ended
--- | ---
Mar. 31, 2014 segment | Mar. 31, 2013
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |
Number of Operating Segments | 4 |
Approximate market value | $ 8,800,000,000,000 |
Merger and strategic initiatives | $ 28,000,000 | $ 8,000,000
Listing Services [Member] |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |
Number of world wide listed companies | 3,400 |

X
- Definition Approximate market value + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | ndaq_ApproximateMarketValue
Namespace Prefix: | ndaq_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Number of world wide listed companies + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | ndaq_NumberOfWorldWideListedCompanies
Namespace Prefix: | ndaq_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition This element represents acquisition-related costs incurred to effect a business combination which costs have been expensed during the period. Such costs include finder's fees; advisory, legal, accounting, valuation, and other professional or consulting fees; general administrative costs, including the costs of maintaining an internal acquisitions department; and may include costs of registering and issuing debt and equity securities. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 10 -Section 25 -Paragraph 23 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=21917927&loc=d3e1043-128460 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_BusinessCombinationAcquisitionRelatedCosts
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Number of operating segments. An operating segment is a component of an enterprise: (a) that engages in business activities from which it may earn revenues and incur expenses (including revenues and expenses relating to transactions with other components of the same enterprise), (b) whose operating results are regularly reviewed by the enterprise's chief operating decision maker to make decisions about resources to be allocated to the segment and assess its performance, and (c) for which discrete financial information is available. An operating segment may engage in business activities for which it has yet to earn revenues, for example, start-up operations may be operating segments before earning revenues. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_NumberOfOperatingSegments
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_SegmentReportingInformationLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration