Loans (Details 1) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	$ 293,471	$ 306,876
Pass [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Risk rating number related to grade pass	1 to 5	1 to 5
Total Loans	256,039	263,602
Watch [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Risk Rating Number	6	6
Total Loans	11,009	8,264
Special Mention [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Risk Rating Number	7	7
Total Loans	7,164	13,272
Substandard [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Risk Rating Number	8	8
Total Loans	18,364	19,410
Doubtful [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Risk Rating Number	9	9
Total Loans	895	2,328
Loss [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Risk Rating Number	10	10
Total Loans
Commercial and Industrial [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	28,700	26,820
Commercial and Industrial [Member] \| Pass [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	25,590	23,901
Commercial and Industrial [Member] \| Watch [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	850	927
Commercial and Industrial [Member] \| Special Mention [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	250	224
Commercial and Industrial [Member] \| Substandard [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	2,010	1,768
Commercial and Industrial [Member] \| Loss [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans
Commercial real estate, Owner occupied [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	63,070	68,169
Commercial real estate, Owner occupied [Member] \| Pass [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	56,467	63,192
Commercial real estate, Owner occupied [Member] \| Watch [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	1,142	625
Commercial real estate, Owner occupied [Member] \| Special Mention [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	1,994	1,742
Commercial real estate, Owner occupied [Member] \| Substandard [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	3,467	2,610
Commercial real estate, Owner occupied [Member] \| Loss [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans
Commercial real estate, Non-owner occupied [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	63,573	69,441
Commercial real estate, Non-owner occupied [Member] \| Pass [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	55,232	60,069
Commercial real estate, Non-owner occupied [Member] \| Watch [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	4,788	1,231
Commercial real estate, Non-owner occupied [Member] \| Special Mention [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	1,745	8,141
Commercial real estate, Non-owner occupied [Member] \| Substandard [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	1,808
Commercial real estate, Non-owner occupied [Member] \| Loss [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans
Construction/Land, Residential construction [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	15,032	14,759
Construction/Land, Residential construction [Member] \| Pass [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	13,673	9,356
Construction/Land, Residential construction [Member] \| Watch [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	800	175
Construction/Land, Residential construction [Member] \| Special Mention [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans		599
Construction/Land, Residential construction [Member] \| Substandard [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans		3,753
Construction/Land, Residential construction [Member] \| Doubtful [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	559	876
Construction/Land, Residential construction [Member] \| Loss [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans
Construction/Land, Other construction and land [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	23,404	24,417
Construction/Land, Other construction and land [Member] \| Pass [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	14,090	16,018
Construction/Land, Other construction and land [Member] \| Watch [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	527
Construction/Land, Other construction and land [Member] \| Special Mention [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	167	1,662
Construction/Land, Other construction and land [Member] \| Substandard [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	8,284	5,837
Construction/Land, Other construction and land [Member] \| Doubtful [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	336	900
Construction/Land, Other construction and land [Member] \| Loss [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans
Residential Real Estate, Equity lines [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	28,238	29,106
Residential Real Estate, Equity lines [Member] \| Pass [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	27,853	27,311
Residential Real Estate, Equity lines [Member] \| Watch [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	136	430
Residential Real Estate, Equity lines [Member] \| Special Mention [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	99	718
Residential Real Estate, Equity lines [Member] \| Substandard [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	150	95
Residential Real Estate, Equity lines [Member] \| Doubtful [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans		552
Residential Real Estate, Equity lines [Member] \| Loss [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans
Residential Real Estate, Single family [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	64,553	66,357
Residential Real Estate, Single family [Member] \| Pass [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	56,437	56,134
Residential Real Estate, Single family [Member] \| Watch [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	2,744	4,876
Residential Real Estate, Single family [Member] \| Special Mention [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	2,727
Residential Real Estate, Single family [Member] \| Substandard [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	2,645	5,347
Residential Real Estate, Single family [Member] \| Loss [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans
Residential Real Estate Multifamily [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	5,428	5,785
Residential Real Estate Multifamily [Member] \| Pass [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	5,428	5,785
Residential Real Estate Multifamily [Member] \| Loss [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans
Consumer-non real estate [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	1,473	2,022
Consumer-non real estate [Member] \| Pass [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	1,269	1,836
Consumer-non real estate [Member] \| Watch [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	22
Consumer-non real estate [Member] \| Special Mention [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans	182	186
Consumer-non real estate [Member] \| Loss [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]
Total Loans

ALLIANCE BANKSHARES CORP 10-Q