SEGMENT REPORTING - Summary of Segment Information (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017 USD ($) employee	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($) employee	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Revenues	$ 3,415,125	$ 3,073,943
Net Revenues	568,566	563,335
Operating Income	187,958	198,952
Depreciation and amortization	22,431	16,875
Total assets	$ 3,775,744	$ 3,162,245	$ 3,687,758
Weighted Average
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Average headcount \| employee	14,279	13,251
NAST
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Revenues	$ 2,360,406	$ 2,105,748
Net Revenues	372,440	383,798
Operating Income	155,877	162,351
Depreciation and amortization	5,590	5,502
Total assets	$ 2,126,900	$ 1,854,240
NAST \| Weighted Average
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Average headcount \| employee	6,844	6,666
Global Forwarding
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Revenues	$ 476,931	$ 357,192
Net Revenues	106,546	92,866
Operating Income	16,206	16,857
Depreciation and amortization	8,020	5,079
Total assets	$ 699,139	$ 514,958
Global Forwarding \| Weighted Average
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Average headcount \| employee	3,926	3,488
Robinson Fresh
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Revenues	$ 583,785	$ 587,989
Net Revenues	56,837	58,185
Operating Income	14,652	17,733
Depreciation and amortization	1,146	768
Total assets	$ 409,972	$ 370,319
Robinson Fresh \| Weighted Average
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Average headcount \| employee	961	922
All Other and Corporate
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Revenues	$ 143,518	$ 113,572
Net Revenues	32,743	28,486
Operating Income	1,223	2,011
Depreciation and amortization	7,675	5,526
Total assets	$ 539,733	$ 422,728
All Other and Corporate \| Weighted Average
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Average headcount \| employee	2,548	2,175
Operating Segments
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Revenues	$ 3,415,125	$ 3,073,943
Operating Segments \| NAST
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Revenues	2,259,252	2,045,479
Operating Segments \| Global Forwarding
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Revenues	468,788	351,112
Operating Segments \| Robinson Fresh
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Revenues	550,445	564,093
Operating Segments \| All Other and Corporate
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Revenues	136,640	113,259
Intersegment revenues
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Revenues	(149,515)	(90,558)
Intersegment revenues \| NAST
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Revenues	101,154	60,269
Intersegment revenues \| Global Forwarding
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Revenues	8,143	6,080
Intersegment revenues \| Robinson Fresh
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Revenues	33,340	23,896
Intersegment revenues \| All Other and Corporate
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Revenues	$ 6,878	$ 313

Number of persons employed by the Entity

No definition available.

Name:	dei_EntityNumberOfEmployees
Namespace Prefix:	dei_
Data Type:	xbrli:decimalItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Sum of the carrying amounts as of the balance sheet date of all assets that are recognized. Assets are probable future economic benefits obtained or controlled by an entity as a result of past transactions or events.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03(a)(12))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(11))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_Assets
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The current period expense charged against earnings on long-lived, physical assets not used in production, and which are not intended for resale, to allocate or recognize the cost of such assets over their useful lives; or to record the reduction in book value of an intangible asset over the benefit period of such asset; or to reflect consumption during the period of an asset that is not used in production.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 360
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6391035&loc=d3e2868-110229

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 28
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66902209&loc=d3e3602-108585

+ Details

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

- Definition

The net result for the period of deducting operating expenses from operating revenues.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of revenue recognized from goods sold, services rendered, insurance premiums, or other activities that constitute an earning process. Includes, but is not limited to, investment and interest income before deduction of interest expense when recognized as a component of revenue, and sales and trading gain (loss).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 225
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=63488584&loc=d3e20235-122688

+ Details

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

- Definition

Total revenue from sale of goods and services rendered during the reporting period, in the normal course of business, reduced by sales returns and allowances, and sales discounts.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
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_SegmentReportingInformationLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_WeightedAverageMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=chrw_NorthAmericanServiceTransportationNASTMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=chrw_GlobalForwardingMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=chrw_RobinsonFreshMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=us-gaap_CorporateAndOtherMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis=us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis=us-gaap_IntersegmentEliminationMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: