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Subsequent Events (Details) (USD $)
 3 Months Ended 3 Months Ended 0 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2013
Mar. 31, 2012
Dec. 31, 2012
Mar. 31, 2013
St. Lawrence Seaway RSA Cellular Partnership and New York RSA 2 Cellular Partnership
Apr. 03, 2013
Subsequent event
St. Lawrence Seaway RSA Cellular Partnership
Apr. 03, 2013
Subsequent event
St. Lawrence Seaway RSA Cellular Partnership and New York RSA 2 Cellular Partnership
Apr. 03, 2013
Subsequent event
St. Lawrence Seaway RSA Cellular Partnership and New York RSA 2 Cellular Partnership
Minimum
Apr. 03, 2013
Subsequent event
St. Lawrence Seaway RSA Cellular Partnership and New York RSA 2 Cellular Partnership
Maximum
Apr. 03, 2013
Expected event
Subsequent event
New York RSA 2 Cellular Partnership
Subsequent events                  
Deconsolidation description           On April 3, 2013, U.S. Cellular entered into an agreement relating to the Partnerships (as defined below) with Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless (“Verizon Wireless”). U.S. Cellular holds a 60.00% interest in St. Lawrence Seaway RSA Cellular Partnership (“NY1”) and a 57.14% interest in New York RSA 2 Cellular Partnership (“NY2” and, together with NY1, the “Partnerships”). The remaining interests are held by Verizon Wireless. The Partnerships are operated by Verizon Wireless under the Verizon Wireless brand. Because U.S. Cellular owns a greater than 50% interest in each of these markets and based on U.S. Cellular’s rights under the Partnership Agreements, prior to April 3, 2013, U.S. Cellular consolidated the financial results of these markets in accordance with GAAP. The agreement amends the Partnership Agreements in several ways, which provide Verizon Wireless with substantive participating rights that allow Verizon Wireless to make decisions that are in the ordinary course of business of the Partnerships and which are significant to directing and executing the activities of the business. Accordingly, as required by GAAP, effective April 3, 2013, U.S. Cellular will deconsolidate the Partnerships and thereafter will report them as equity method investments in its consolidated financial statements (the “Deconsolidation”). After the Deconsolidation, U.S. Cellular will continue to record only its share of the net income of the Partnerships in Net income attributable to U.S. Cellular shareholders. In accordance with GAAP, U.S. Cellular will recognize a non-cash pre-tax gain in the range of $16 million to $32 million in the second quarter of 2013.      
Ownership interest in equity method investment         60.00%       57.14%
Deconsolidation gain             $ 16,000,000 $ 32,000,000  
Total assets 6,523,635,000   6,587,450,000 117,142,000          
Total liabilities       10,847,000          
Operating revenues 1,081,746,000 1,092,121,000   43,302,000          
Total operating expenses 1,080,280,000 1,006,919,000   31,690,000          
Net income 10,710,000 69,012,000   11,619,000          
Net income attributable to U.S. Cellular shareholders $ 4,914,000 $ 62,492,000   $ 6,824,000