<SUBMISSION>
<ACCESSION-NUMBER>0001200563-04-000005
<TYPE>4
<PUBLIC-DOCUMENT-COUNT>1
<PERIOD>20040604
<FILING-DATE>20040614
<REPORTING-OWNER>
<OWNER-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>ASHBY RICHARD J JR
<CIK>0001200563
</OWNER-DATA>
<FILING-VALUES>
<FORM-TYPE>4
<ACT>34
<FILE-NUMBER>000-10587
<FILM-NUMBER>04860169
</FILING-VALUES>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>C/O FULTON FINANCIAL CORP
<STREET2>ONE PENN SQUARE
<CITY>LANCASTER
<STATE>PA
<ZIP>17602
<PHONE>7176722089
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
</REPORTING-OWNER>
<ISSUER>
<COMPANY-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>FULTON FINANCIAL CORP
<CIK>0000700564
<ASSIGNED-SIC>6021
<IRS-NUMBER>232195389
<STATE-OF-INCORPORATION>PA
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>1231
</COMPANY-DATA>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>ONE PENN SQ
<STREET2>PO BOX 4887
<CITY>LANCASTER
<STATE>PA
<ZIP>17604
<PHONE>7172912411
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<MAIL-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>ONE PENN SQ
<STREET2>PO BOX 4887
<CITY>LANCASTER
<STATE>PA
<ZIP>17604
</MAIL-ADDRESS>
</ISSUER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>4
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>edgar.xml
<DESCRIPTION>PRIMARY DOCUMENT
<TEXT>
<XML>
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0202</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2004-06-04</periodOfReport>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000700564</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>FULTON FINANCIAL CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>FULT</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001200563</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>ASHBY RICHARD J JR</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>FULTON FINANCIAL CORPORATION</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>ONE PENN SQUARE</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>LANCASTER</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>PA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>17602</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>Executive Vice President</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>$2.50 par value common stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2004-06-04</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>J</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>2228.7815</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>46831.4126</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>$2.50 par value common stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2004-06-04</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>J</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>1535</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>32245</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>Spouse</value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <derivativeTable>
        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock (Right to Buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>0</value>
                <footnoteId id="F3"/>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2004-06-04</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>J</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F3"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>8227</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <exerciseDate>
                <footnoteId id="F3"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <footnoteId id="F3"/>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>$2.50 par value common stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>8227</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>172796</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeTransaction>
    </derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Additional shares of common stock received pursuant to a 5% stock dividend paid by Fulton Financial Corporation to its shareholders of record of May 14, 2004.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Includes 1963.0327 shares held jointly with spouse and 6,408.3799 shares held in the Fulton Financial Corporation Retirement Plan.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">These options were previously reported as options for 164,569 shares currently exercisable, and expiring at various times between June 30, 2005 and June 30, 2013 as an exercising price ranging from $7.520 to $19.90 per share but were adjusted to reflect a five percent stock dividend paid by Fulton Financial Corporation to its shareholders of record on May 14, 2004, as a consequence of which the exercise prices now range between $7.160 to $18.950.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>George R. Barr, Jr., Attorney-in-Fact</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2004-06-11</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>

</XML>
</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
</SUBMISSION>
