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Debt, Fixed Rate Debt (Details) (USD $)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Dec. 31, 2010
Long term debt    
Obligation on capital leases $ 4,336,000 $ 4,385,000
Total long-term debt 880,447,000 868,042,000
Less: Current portion of long-term debt 127,000 101,000
Total long-term debt excluding current portion 880,320,000 867,941,000
6.95% Senior Notes
    
Long term debt    
Interest rate on debt 6.95% [1],[2]  
Date of debt issuance May 2011  
Maturity date of debt issued May 01, 2060  
Call date of debt issued May 01, 2016 [3]  
Debt issuance cost 11,000,000  
Long term debt 342,000,000 [1],[2]  
7.5% Senior Notes
    
Long term debt    
Interest rate on debt 7.50% [1],[4]  
Date of debt issuance June 2004  
Maturity date of debt issued Jun. 01, 2034  
Call date of debt issued Jun. 01, 2009 [3]  
Long term debt   330,000,000 [1],[4]
Debt redemption    
Amount of debt redeemed 330,000,000  
Date of debt redemption June 20, 2011  
Previously capitalized debt issuance cost recognized to interest expense 8,200,000  
6.7% Senior Notes
    
Long term debt    
Interest rate on debt 6.70% [1]  
Date of debt issuance December 2003 and June 2004  
Maturity date of debt issued Dec. 01, 2033  
Call date of debt issued Dec. 01, 2003 [3]  
Long term debt, face value 544,000,000 544,000,000
Unamortized discount (9,889,000) (10,343,000)
Long term debt $ 534,111,000 [1] $ 533,657,000 [1]
[1] Interest on the 6.7% Senior Notes is payable semi-annually, and on the 6.95% Senior Notes is payable quarterly.
[2] Capitalized debt issuance costs totaled $11.0 million and are being amortized over the life of the notes. Such issuance costs are included in Other assets and deferred charges.
[3] U.S. Cellular may redeem the 6.95% Senior Notes, in whole or in part at any time after the call date, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount redeemed plus accrued and unpaid interest. U.S. Cellular may redeem the 6.7% Senior Notes, in whole or in part, at any time prior to maturity at a redemption price equal to the greater of (a) 100% of the principal amount of such notes, plus accrued and unpaid interest, or (b) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest thereon discounted to the redemption date on a semi-annual basis at the Treasury Rate plus 30 basis points.
[4] On June 20, 2011, U.S. Cellular used substantially all of the net proceeds from the issuance of the 6.95% Senior Notes to redeem $330 million (the entire outstanding amount) of its unsecured 7.5% Senior Notes at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest to the redemption date. This redemption required U.S. Cellular to write-off to interest expense $8.2 million of previously capitalized debt issuance costs related to the 7.5% Senior Notes in 2011.