| Revenues Gross Profit And Operating Income By Segment [Table Text Block] | Revenues, gross profit, and operating income associated with our segments were as follows: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Three Months Ended September 30, | | Nine Months Ended September 30, | | 2011 | | 2010 | | 2011 | | 2010 | | (in thousands) | Revenues | | | | | | | | Itron North America | $ | 294,577 |
| | $ | 313,155 |
| | $ | 859,783 |
| | $ | 855,857 |
| Itron International | 320,978 |
| | 260,496 |
| | 931,864 |
| | 782,756 |
| Total Company | $ | 615,555 |
| | $ | 573,651 |
| | $ | 1,791,647 |
| | $ | 1,638,613 |
| | | | | | | | | Gross profit | | | | | | | | Itron North America | $ | 84,919 |
| | $ | 109,551 |
| | $ | 276,599 |
| | $ | 288,682 |
| Itron International | 91,259 |
| | 72,212 |
| | 274,772 |
| | 224,201 |
| Total Company | $ | 176,178 |
| | $ | 181,763 |
| | $ | 551,371 |
| | $ | 512,883 |
| | | | | | | | | Operating income (loss) | | | | | | | | Itron North America | $ | 38,018 |
| | $ | 62,274 |
| | $ | 124,550 |
| | $ | 149,694 |
| Itron International | (525,411 | ) | | 7,515 |
| | (492,700 | ) | | 22,969 |
| Corporate unallocated | (9,859 | ) | | (10,853 | ) | | (30,928 | ) | | (32,099 | ) | Total Company | (497,252 | ) | | 58,936 |
| | (399,078 | ) | | 140,564 |
| Total other income (expense) | (13,788 | ) | | (17,585 | ) | | (40,919 | ) | | (47,212 | ) | Income (loss) before income taxes | $ | (511,040 | ) | | $ | 41,351 |
| | $ | (439,997 | ) | | $ | 93,352 |
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| Revenues By Region [Table Text Block] | Revenues by region were as follows: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Three Months Ended September 30, | | Nine Months Ended September 30, | | 2011 | | 2010 | | 2011 | | 2010 | | (in thousands) | United States and Canada | $ | 292,323 |
| | $ | 310,671 |
| | $ | 852,715 |
| | $ | 849,174 |
| Europe | 207,645 |
| | 173,936 |
| | 638,830 |
| | 562,284 |
| Other | 115,587 |
| | 89,044 |
| | 300,102 |
| | 227,155 |
| Total revenues | $ | 615,555 |
| | $ | 573,651 |
| | $ | 1,791,647 |
| | $ | 1,638,613 |
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| Depreciation And Amortization Expense Associated With Segments [Table Text Block] | Depreciation and amortization expense associated with our segments was as follows: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Three Months Ended September 30, | | Nine Months Ended September 30, | | 2011 | | 2010 | | 2011 | | 2010 | | (in thousands) | Itron North America | $ | 11,497 |
| | $ | 11,484 |
| | $ | 33,844 |
| | $ | 34,212 |
| Itron International | 21,117 |
| | 20,628 |
| | 63,067 |
| | 62,970 |
| Corporate Unallocated | 6 |
| | 1 |
| | 8 |
| | 2 |
| Total Company | $ | 32,620 |
| | $ | 32,113 |
| | $ | 96,919 |
| | $ | 97,184 |
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