Basis of Presentation (Policies)	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2026
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Basis of Accounting, Policy [Policy Text Block]	The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared by West Bancorporation, Inc. (the Company) pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. Although management believes that the disclosures are adequate to make the information presented understandable, it is suggested that these unaudited consolidated financial statements be read in conjunction with the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, filed with the SEC on February 26, 2026. In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements of the Company contain all adjustments necessary to fairly present its financial position as of June 30, 2026 and December 31, 2025, net income, comprehensive income (loss) and changes in stockholders' equity for the three and six months ended June 30, 2026 and 2025, and cash flows for the six months ended June 30, 2026 and 2025. The results for these interim periods may not be indicative of results for the entire year or for any other period. The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) established by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). References to GAAP issued by the FASB in these footnotes are to the FASB Accounting Standards Codification™, sometimes referred to as the Codification or ASC.
Use of Estimates, Policy [Policy Text Block]	In preparing the consolidated financial statements, management is required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses for the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Material estimates that are particularly susceptible to significant change in the near term are the fair value of financial instruments and the allowance for credit losses
Consolidation, Policy [Policy Text Block]	The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company, the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary West Bank and West Bank's special purpose subsidiaries. All significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation. In accordance with GAAP, West Bancorporation Capital Trust I is recorded on the books of the Company using the equity method of accounting and is not consolidated. As a community-oriented financial institution, substantially all of West Bank's operations involve the delivery of loan and deposit products to customers. The chief operating decision maker makes operating decisions and assesses performance based on an ongoing review of the community banking activities, which constitutes the Company's only operating segment for financial reporting purposes. The Company's single segment is managed on a consolidated basis by the chief operating decision maker, which is the Company's chief executive officer. The accounting policies of this segment are the same as those described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on February 26, 2026. Refer to Note 1 in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information. As the chief operating decision maker, the Company's Chief Executive Officer assesses performance of the segment and determines the allocation of resources based on consolidated net income, which is reported in the Consolidated Statements of Income. Consolidated net income is used in deciding where to deploy capital and to monitor budget against actual results. It is also used in benchmarking performance measures to the Company's peers for compensation related analysis. The measure of segment assets is reported on the Consolidated Balance Sheets as total consolidated assets.
New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Current accounting developments: In October 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-06, Disclosure Improvements: Codification Amendments in Response to the SEC’s Disclosure Update and Simplification Initiative. The ASU incorporates certain SEC disclosure requirements into the FASB Accounting Standards CodificationTM.. The amendments in the ASU are expected to clarify or improve disclosure presentation requirements of a variety of Codification Topics, allow users to more easily compare entities subject to the SEC’s existing disclosures with those entities that were not previously subject to the requirements, and align the requirements in the Codification with the SEC’s regulations. For entities subject to the SEC’s existing disclosure requirements and for entities required to file or furnish financial statements with or to the SEC in preparation for the sale of or for purposes of issuing securities that are not subject to contractual restrictions on transfer, the effective date for each amendment will be the date on which the SEC removes that related disclosure from its rules. For all other entities, the amendments will be effective two years later. However, if by June 30, 2027, the SEC has not removed the related disclosure from its regulations, the amendments will be removed from the Codification and not become effective for any entity. These amendments have not had an impact to the Company as of June 30, 2026. In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU No. 2024-03, Income Statement-Reporting Comprehensive Income-Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40): Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses. The amendments in this ASU require public companies to disclose, in the notes to the financial statements, specified information about certain costs and expenses at each interim and annual reporting period. Additionally, in January 2025, the FASB issued ASU No. 2025-01, Income Statement-Reporting Comprehensive Income-Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40): Clarifying the Effective Date. This ASU amends the effective date of ASU No. 2024-03 to clarify that all public business entities are required to adopt the guidance in annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2026, and interim periods within annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2027. Early adoption of ASU No. 2024-03 is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the ASU on the Company's consolidated financial statements. In November 2025, the FASB issued ASU No. 2025-08, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326): Purchased Loans. The ASU expands the population of acquired financial assets accounted for using the “gross-up approach” when recording the initial allowance for credit losses through an adjustment to the initial amortized cost basis. Acquired loans are deemed purchased seasoned loans and accounted for using the gross-up approach upon acquisition if criteria established by the new guidance are met. This change aims to enhance comparability, consistency and better reflect the economics of acquiring financial assets. This ASU is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2026 and interim reporting periods within those annual reporting periods. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the ASU on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. In November 2025, the FASB issued ASU No. 2025-09, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Hedge Accounting Improvements. The ASU enables entities to apply hedge accounting to a greater number of highly effective economic hedges in multiple areas. The ASU expands the hedged risks permitted to be aggregated in a group of individual forecasted transactions, enabling entities to apply hedge accounting to potentially broader portfolios of forecasted transactions. The ASU is effective for public business entities for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2026, and interim periods within those annual reporting periods. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the ASU on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. In December 2025, the FASB issued ASU No. 2025-11, Interim Reporting (Topic 270): Narrow-Scope Improvements. The ASU clarifies the applicability of the interim reporting guidance, the types of interim reporting, and the form and content of interim financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. The amendments in this ASU are effective for public business entities for interim periods within annual periods beginning after December 15, 2027. Early adoption is permitted. The amendments can be applied either prospectively or retrospectively to any or all prior periods presented in the financial statements. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the ASU on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. In December 2025, the FASB issued ASU No. 2025-12, Codification Improvements. The amendments in this ASU update the FASB Accounting Standards Codification for a broad range of topics arising from technical corrections, unintended application of the Codification, clarifications, and other minor improvements. The amendments in this ASU are effective for all entities for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2026, and interim periods within those annual periods. Early adoption is permitted in both interim and annual periods in which financial statements have not yet been issued or made available for issuance. An entity may elect to adopt the amendments on an issue-by-issue basis. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the ASU on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
Earnings Per Share, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Basic earnings per common share are computed by dividing net income by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted earnings per common share reflect the potential dilution that could occur if the Company's outstanding restricted stock units were vested. The dilutive effect was computed using the treasury stock method, which assumes all stock-based awards were exercised and the hypothetical proceeds from exercise were used by the Company to purchase common stock at the average market price during the period. The incremental shares, to the extent they would have been dilutive, were included in the denominator of the diluted earnings per common share calculation.
Loans and Leases Receivable, Fee and Interest Income [Policy Text Block]	Loans are stated at the principal amounts outstanding, net of unamortized loan fees and costs, with interest income recognized on the interest method based upon the terms of the loan. Loan origination fees, net of certain direct origination costs, are deferred and recognized as an adjustment of the related loan yield using the interest method. Loans are reported by the portfolio segments identified above and are analyzed by management on this basis.
Fair Value Measurement, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants in the market in which the reporting entity transacts business. The Company's balance sheet contains securities available for sale and derivative instruments that are recorded at fair value on a recurring basis. The three-level valuation hierarchy for disclosure of fair value is as follows: Level 1 uses quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 uses observable market-based inputs or unobservable inputs that are corroborated by market data. Level 3 uses unobservable inputs that are not corroborated by market data. The Company's policy is to recognize transfers between levels at the end of each reporting period, if applicable. There were no transfers between levels of the fair value hierarchy during the six months ended June 30, 2026. The following is a description of valuation methodologies used for financial assets and liabilities recorded at fair value on a recurring basis. Securities available for sale: When available, quoted market prices are used to determine the fair value of securities (Level 1). If quoted market prices are not available, the Company determines fair value based on various sources and may apply matrix pricing with observable prices for similar bonds where a price for the identical bond is not observable (Level 2). The fair values of these securities are determined by pricing models that consider observable market data such as interest rate volatilities, yield curves, credit spreads, prices from market makers and live trading systems. Management obtains the fair value of securities at the end of each reporting period via a third-party pricing service. Management reviewed the valuation process used by the third party and believed the process was valid. On a quarterly basis, management corroborates the fair values of securities by obtaining pricing from an independent financial market data vendor and comparing the two sets of fair values. Any significant variances are reviewed and investigated. For a sample of securities, prices are further validated by management by obtaining details of the inputs used by the pricing service. Those inputs were independently tested, and management concluded the fair values were consistent with GAAP requirements and the securities were properly classified in the fair value hierarchy. Derivative instruments: The Company's derivative instruments consist of interest rate swaps and interest rate collars accounted for as cash flow hedges, as well as interest rate swaps, which are accounted for as non-hedging derivatives. The Company's derivative positions are classified within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy and are valued using models that are generally accepted in the financial services industry, including discounted cash flow models, and that use actively quoted or observable market input values from external market data providers and/or non-binding broker-dealer quotations. These models’ key assumptions include the contractual terms of the respective contract along with significant observable inputs, including interest rates, yield curves, nonperformance risk and volatility.
Fair Value Transfer, Policy [Policy Text Block]	The Company's policy is to recognize transfers between levels at the end of each reporting period, if applicable.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments, Policy [Policy Text Block]	GAAP requires disclosure of the fair value of financial assets and financial liabilities, including those that are not measured and reported at fair value on a recurring or nonrecurring basis
Off-Balance-Sheet Credit Exposure, Policy [Policy Text Block]	The Company is party to financial instruments with off-balance-sheet risk in the normal course of business to meet the financing needs of its customers. These financial instruments include commitments to extend credit and standby letters of credit. These instruments involve, to varying degrees, elements of credit risk in excess of the amount recognized in the consolidated balance sheets. The Company's exposure to credit loss in the event of nonperformance by the other party to the financial instrument for commitments to extend credit and standby letters of credit is represented by the contractual amount of those instruments. The Company uses the same credit policies in making commitments and conditional obligations that it uses for on-balance-sheet instruments.

Basis of Presentation (Policies)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2026

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Basis of Accounting, Policy [Policy Text Block]

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared by West Bancorporation, Inc. (the Company) pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. Although management believes that the disclosures are adequate to make the information presented understandable, it is suggested that these unaudited consolidated financial statements be read in conjunction with the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, filed with the SEC on February 26, 2026. In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements of the Company contain all adjustments necessary to fairly present its financial position as of June 30, 2026 and December 31, 2025, net income, comprehensive income (loss) and changes in stockholders' equity for the three and six months ended June 30, 2026 and 2025, and cash flows for the six months ended June 30, 2026 and 2025. The results for these interim periods may not be indicative of results for the entire year or for any other period.

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) established by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). References to GAAP issued by the FASB in these footnotes are to the FASB Accounting Standards Codification™, sometimes referred to as the Codification or ASC.

Use of Estimates, Policy [Policy Text Block]

In preparing the consolidated financial statements, management is required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses for the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Material estimates that are particularly susceptible to significant change in the near term are the fair value of financial instruments and the allowance for credit losses

Consolidation, Policy [Policy Text Block]

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company, the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary West Bank and West Bank's special purpose subsidiaries. All significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation. In accordance with GAAP, West Bancorporation Capital Trust I is recorded on the books of the Company using the equity method of accounting and is not consolidated.

As a community-oriented financial institution, substantially all of West Bank's operations involve the delivery of loan and deposit products to customers. The chief operating decision maker makes operating decisions and assesses performance based on an ongoing review of the community banking activities, which constitutes the Company's only operating segment for financial reporting purposes. The Company's single segment is managed on a consolidated basis by the chief operating decision maker, which is the Company's chief executive officer.

The accounting policies of this segment are the same as those described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on February 26, 2026. Refer to Note 1 in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information. As the chief operating decision maker, the Company's Chief Executive Officer assesses performance of the segment and determines the allocation of resources based on consolidated net income, which is reported in the Consolidated Statements of Income. Consolidated net income is used in deciding where to deploy capital and to monitor budget against actual results. It is also used in benchmarking performance measures to the Company's peers for compensation related analysis. The measure of segment assets is reported on the Consolidated Balance Sheets as total consolidated assets.

New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Current accounting developments: In October 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-06, Disclosure Improvements: Codification Amendments in Response to the SEC’s Disclosure Update and Simplification Initiative. The ASU incorporates certain SEC disclosure requirements into the FASB Accounting Standards CodificationTM.. The amendments in the ASU are expected to clarify or improve disclosure presentation requirements of a variety of Codification Topics, allow users to more easily compare entities subject to the SEC’s existing disclosures with those entities that were not previously subject to the requirements, and align the requirements in the Codification with the SEC’s regulations. For entities subject to the SEC’s existing disclosure requirements and for entities required to file or furnish financial statements with or to the SEC in preparation for the sale of or for purposes of issuing securities that are not subject to contractual restrictions on transfer, the effective date for each amendment will be the date on which the SEC removes that related disclosure from its rules. For all other entities, the amendments will be effective two years later. However, if by June 30, 2027, the SEC has not removed the related disclosure from its regulations, the amendments will be removed from the Codification and not become effective for any entity. These amendments have not had an impact to the Company as of June 30, 2026.

In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU No. 2024-03, Income Statement-Reporting Comprehensive Income-Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40): Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses. The amendments in this ASU require public companies to disclose, in the notes to the financial statements, specified information about certain costs and expenses at each interim and annual reporting period. Additionally, in January 2025, the FASB issued ASU No. 2025-01, Income Statement-Reporting Comprehensive Income-Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40): Clarifying the Effective Date. This ASU amends the effective date of ASU No. 2024-03 to clarify that all public business entities are required to adopt the guidance in annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2026, and interim periods within annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2027. Early adoption of ASU No. 2024-03 is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the ASU on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

In November 2025, the FASB issued ASU No. 2025-08, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326): Purchased Loans. The ASU expands the population of acquired financial assets accounted for using the “gross-up approach” when recording the initial allowance for credit losses through an adjustment to the initial amortized cost basis. Acquired loans are deemed purchased seasoned loans and accounted for using the gross-up approach upon acquisition if criteria established by the new guidance are met. This change aims to enhance comparability, consistency and better reflect the economics of acquiring financial assets. This ASU is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2026 and interim reporting periods within those annual reporting periods. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the ASU on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In November 2025, the FASB issued ASU No. 2025-09, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Hedge Accounting Improvements. The ASU enables entities to apply hedge accounting to a greater number of highly effective economic hedges in multiple areas. The ASU expands the hedged risks permitted to be aggregated in a group of individual forecasted transactions, enabling entities to apply hedge accounting to potentially broader portfolios of forecasted transactions. The ASU is effective for public business entities for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2026, and interim periods within those annual reporting periods. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the ASU on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In December 2025, the FASB issued ASU No. 2025-11, Interim Reporting (Topic 270): Narrow-Scope Improvements. The ASU clarifies the applicability of the interim reporting guidance, the types of interim reporting, and the form and content of interim financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. The amendments in this ASU are effective for public business entities for interim periods within annual periods beginning after December 15, 2027. Early adoption is permitted. The amendments can be applied either prospectively or retrospectively to any or all prior periods presented in the financial statements. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the ASU on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In December 2025, the FASB issued ASU No. 2025-12, Codification Improvements. The amendments in this ASU update the FASB Accounting Standards Codification for a broad range of topics arising from technical corrections, unintended application of the Codification, clarifications, and other minor improvements. The amendments in this ASU are effective for all entities for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2026, and interim periods within those annual periods. Early adoption is permitted in both interim and annual periods in which financial statements have not yet been issued or made available for issuance. An entity may elect to adopt the amendments on an issue-by-issue basis. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the ASU on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Earnings Per Share, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Basic earnings per common share are computed by dividing net income by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted earnings per common share reflect the potential dilution that could occur if the Company's outstanding restricted stock units were vested. The dilutive effect was computed using the treasury stock method, which assumes all stock-based awards were exercised and the hypothetical proceeds from exercise were used by the Company to purchase common stock at the average market price during the period. The incremental shares, to the extent they would have been dilutive, were included in the denominator of the diluted earnings per common share calculation.

Loans and Leases Receivable, Fee and Interest Income [Policy Text Block]

Loans are stated at the principal amounts outstanding, net of unamortized loan fees and costs, with interest income recognized on the interest method based upon the terms of the loan. Loan origination fees, net of certain direct origination costs, are deferred and recognized as an adjustment of the related loan yield using the interest method. Loans are reported by the portfolio segments identified above and are analyzed by management on this basis.

Fair Value Measurement, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants in the market in which the reporting entity transacts business. The Company's balance sheet contains securities available for sale and derivative instruments that are recorded at fair value on a recurring basis. The three-level valuation hierarchy for disclosure of fair value is as follows:

Level 1 uses quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

Level 2 uses observable market-based inputs or unobservable inputs that are corroborated by market data.

Level 3 uses unobservable inputs that are not corroborated by market data.

The Company's policy is to recognize transfers between levels at the end of each reporting period, if applicable. There were no transfers between levels of the fair value hierarchy during the six months ended June 30, 2026.

The following is a description of valuation methodologies used for financial assets and liabilities recorded at fair value on a recurring basis.

Securities available for sale: When available, quoted market prices are used to determine the fair value of securities (Level 1). If quoted market prices are not available, the Company determines fair value based on various sources and may apply matrix pricing with observable prices for similar bonds where a price for the identical bond is not observable (Level 2). The fair values of these securities are determined by pricing models that consider observable market data such as interest rate volatilities, yield curves, credit spreads, prices from market makers and live trading systems.

Management obtains the fair value of securities at the end of each reporting period via a third-party pricing service. Management reviewed the valuation process used by the third party and believed the process was valid. On a quarterly basis, management corroborates the fair values of securities by obtaining pricing from an independent financial market data vendor and comparing the two sets of fair values. Any significant variances are reviewed and investigated. For a sample of securities, prices are further validated by management by obtaining details of the inputs used by the pricing service. Those inputs were independently tested, and management concluded the fair values were consistent with GAAP requirements and the securities were properly classified in the fair value hierarchy.

Derivative instruments: The Company's derivative instruments consist of interest rate swaps and interest rate collars accounted for as cash flow hedges, as well as interest rate swaps, which are accounted for as non-hedging derivatives. The Company's derivative positions are classified within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy and are valued using models that are generally accepted in the financial services industry, including discounted cash flow models, and that use actively quoted or observable market input values from external market data providers and/or non-binding broker-dealer quotations. These models’ key assumptions include the contractual terms of the respective contract along with significant observable inputs, including interest rates, yield curves, nonperformance risk and volatility.

Fair Value Transfer, Policy [Policy Text Block]

The Company's policy is to recognize transfers between levels at the end of each reporting period, if applicable.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments, Policy [Policy Text Block]

GAAP requires disclosure of the fair value of financial assets and financial liabilities, including those that are not measured and reported at fair value on a recurring or nonrecurring basis

Off-Balance-Sheet Credit Exposure, Policy [Policy Text Block]

The Company is party to financial instruments with off-balance-sheet risk in the normal course of business to meet the financing needs of its customers. These financial instruments include commitments to extend credit and standby letters of credit. These instruments involve, to varying degrees, elements of credit risk in excess of the amount recognized in the consolidated balance sheets. The Company's exposure to credit loss in the event of nonperformance by the other party to the financial instrument for commitments to extend credit and standby letters of credit is represented by the contractual amount of those instruments. The Company uses the same credit policies in making commitments and conditional obligations that it uses for on-balance-sheet instruments.