Consolidated Statements Of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Net income	$ 799,918	$ 526,057	$ 841,440
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	639,542	628,573	565,397
Non-cash compensation expense	29,183	28,099	45,155
Impairment loss	0	0	8,306
Income from unconsolidated joint ventures	(22,770)	(12,769)	(75,074)
Gains on consolidation of joint ventures	0	0	(385,991)
Distributions of net cash flow from operations of unconsolidated joint ventures	8,469	7,372	32,600
Losses (gains) on investments in securities	653	(1,038)	(2,911)
Non-cash portion of interest expense	(42,271)	(39,343)	2,649
Settlement of accreted debt discount on repurchases/repayments of unsecured senior notes and unsecured exchangeable senior notes	0	(94,963)	(56,532)
Losses (gains) from early extinguishments of debt	21,837	0	(264)
Gains on sales of real estate	(375,895)	(168,039)	0
Gain on sale of real estate from discontinued operations	0	0	(112,829)
Gain on forgiveness of debt from discontinued operations	0	0	(20,182)
Impairment loss from discontinued operations	0	0	3,241
Change in assets and liabilities:
Cash held in escrows	(18,284)	3,433	315
Tenant and other receivables, net	(46,326)	12,869	(443)
Accrued rental income, net	(73,911)	(57,899)	(59,972)
Prepaid expenses and other assets	(16,877)	20,238	12,966
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	(6,310)	3,903	13,108
Accrued interest payable	26,854	(3,991)	21,302
Other liabilities	(34,005)	(57,873)	2,073
Tenant leasing costs	(90,396)	(99,076)	(56,428)
Total adjustments	(507)	169,496	(63,514)
Net cash provided by operating activities	799,411	695,553	777,926
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisitions of real estate	0	(4,670)	(522,900)
Construction in progress	(374,664)	(405,942)	(396,835)
Building and other capital improvements	(112,755)	(82,479)	(73,821)
Tenant improvements	(144,572)	(106,003)	(105,425)
Proceeds from sales of real estate	602,600	419,864	250,078
Proceeds from sales of real estate and sales of interests in property partnerships placed in escrow	(200,612)	(1,912,347)	0
Proceeds from sales of real estate and sales of interests in property partnerships released from escrow	634,165	1,478,794	0
Cash placed in escrow for land sale contracts	(7,111)	0	0
Cash released from scrow for land sale contracts	5,312	0	0
Cash recorded upon consolidation		0	79,468
Issuance of notes receivable,net	0	0	12,491
Capital contributions to unconsolidated joint ventures	(38,207)	(52,052)	0
Capital distributions from unconsolidated joint ventures	24,527	1,491	225,862
Investments in marketable securities	(667,335)	0	0
Investments in securities, net	(1,574)	(1,780)	(1,558)
Net cash used in investing activities	(280,226)	(665,124)	(532,640)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments of mortgage notes payable	(54,801)	(87,758)	(80,311)
Proceeds from unsecured senior notes	0	0	1,194,753
Redemption/repurchase of unsecured senior notes	0	(548,016)	0
Redemption/repurchase/exchange of unsecured exchangeable senior notes	0	(654,521)	(393,468)
Payments on capital lease obligation	(356)	0	0
Proceeds from real estate financing transaction	6,000	14,523	0
Payments on real estate financing transactions	(3,103)	(234)	0
Deferred financing costs	(1,510)	(31)	(15,195)
Net proceeds from preferred stock / unit issuance	0	0	193,623
Net proceeds from equity transactions	799	1,923	(334)
Redemption of preferred units	(633)	(17,373)	(43,070)
Dividends and distributions	(1,226,199)	(840,264)	(451,118)
Sales of interests in property partnerships and contributions from noncontrolling interests in property partnerships	2,705	1,536,382	682,617
Acquisition of noncontrolling interest in property partnership	(108,499)	0	0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest in property partnerships	(172,949)	(37,118)	(9,624)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(1,558,546)	(632,487)	1,077,873
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(1,039,361)	(602,058)	1,323,159
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of year	1,763,079	2,365,137	1,041,978
Cash and cash equivalents, end of year	723,718	1,763,079	2,365,137
Supplemental disclosures:
Cash paid for interest	481,826	646,516	547,973
Interest capitalized	34,213	52,476	68,152
Non-cash investing and financing activities:
Change in real estate included in accounts payable and accrued expenses	74,985	(1,431)	(19,824)
Real estate and related intangibles recorded upon consolidation	0	0	3,356,000
Debt recorded upon consolidation	0	0	2,056,000
Working capital recorded upon consolidation	0	0	177,315
Noncontrolling Interests recorded upon consolidation	0	0	480,861
investment in unconsolidated joint venture elminated upon consolidation	0	0	361,808
Mortgage note extinguished through foreclosure	0	0	25,000
Real estate transferred upon foreclosure	0	0	7,508
Land improvements contributed by noncontrolling interests in property partnership	0	0	4,546
Marketable securities transferred in connection with the legal defeasance of mortgage note payable	667,335	0	0
Mortgage note payable legally defeased	640,500	0	0
Mortgage note payable assigned in connection with the sale of real estate	116,993	0	0
Dividends and distributions declared but not paid	327,320	882,472	497,242
Issuance of common stock in connection with the exchange of exchangeable senior notes	0	0	43,834
Conversions of redeemable partnership units to partners’ capital / stockholders equity	14,343	2,700	30,291
Conversion of redeemable preferred units to common units	0	33,306	16,494
Issuance of restricted securities to employees and directors	43,355	27,445	30,077
Boston Properties Limited Partnership [Member]
Net income	809,109	541,213	856,966
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	631,549	620,064	557,349
Non-cash compensation expense	29,183	28,099	45,155
Impairment loss	0	0	4,401
Income from unconsolidated joint ventures	(22,770)	(12,769)	(75,074)
Gains on consolidation of joint ventures	0	0	(385,991)
Distributions of net cash flow from operations of unconsolidated joint ventures	8,469	7,372	32,600
Losses (gains) on investments in securities	653	(1,038)	(2,911)
Non-cash portion of interest expense	(42,271)	(39,343)	2,649
Settlement of accreted debt discount on repurchases/repayments of unsecured senior notes and unsecured exchangeable senior notes	0	(94,963)	(56,532)
Losses (gains) from early extinguishments of debt	21,837	0	(264)
Gains on sales of real estate	(377,093)	(174,686)	0
Gain on sale of real estate from discontinued operations	0	0	(115,459)
Gain on forgiveness of debt from discontinued operations	0	0	(20,736)
Impairment loss from discontinued operations	0	0	2,852
Change in assets and liabilities:
Cash held in escrows	(18,284)	3,433	315
Tenant and other receivables, net	(46,326)	12,869	(443)
Accrued rental income, net	(73,911)	(57,899)	(59,972)
Prepaid expenses and other assets	(16,877)	20,238	12,966
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	(6,310)	3,903	13,108
Accrued interest payable	26,854	(3,991)	21,302
Other liabilities	(34,005)	(57,873)	2,073
Tenant leasing costs	(90,396)	(99,076)	(56,428)
Total adjustments	(9,698)	154,340	(79,040)
Net cash provided by operating activities	799,411	695,553	777,926
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisitions of real estate	0	(4,670)	(522,900)
Construction in progress	(374,664)	(405,942)	(396,835)
Building and other capital improvements	(112,755)	(82,479)	(73,821)
Tenant improvements	(144,572)	(106,003)	(105,425)
Proceeds from sales of real estate	602,600	419,864	250,078
Proceeds from sales of real estate and sales of interests in property partnerships placed in escrow	(200,612)	(1,912,347)	0
Proceeds from sales of real estate and sales of interests in property partnerships released from escrow	634,165	1,478,794	0
Cash placed in escrow for land sale contracts	(7,111)	0	0
Cash released from scrow for land sale contracts	5,312	0	0
Cash recorded upon consolidation	0	0	79,468
Issuance of notes receivable,net	0	0	12,491
Capital contributions to unconsolidated joint ventures	(38,207)	(52,052)	0
Capital distributions from unconsolidated joint ventures	24,527	1,491	225,862
Investments in marketable securities	(667,335)	0	0
Investments in securities, net	(1,574)	(1,780)	(1,558)
Net cash used in investing activities	(280,226)	(665,124)	(532,640)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments of mortgage notes payable	(54,801)	(87,758)	(80,311)
Proceeds from unsecured senior notes	0	0	1,194,753
Redemption/repurchase of unsecured senior notes	0	(548,016)	0
Redemption/repurchase/exchange of unsecured exchangeable senior notes	0	(654,521)	(393,468)
Payments on capital lease obligation	(356)	0	0
Proceeds from real estate financing transaction	6,000	14,523	0
Payments on real estate financing transactions	(3,103)	(234)	0
Deferred financing costs	(1,510)	(31)	(15,195)
Net proceeds from preferred stock / unit issuance	0	0	193,623
Net proceeds from equity transactions	799	1,923	(334)
Redemption of preferred units	(633)	(17,373)	(43,070)
Dividends and distributions	(1,226,199)	(840,264)	(451,118)
Sales of interests in property partnerships and contributions from noncontrolling interests in property partnerships	2,705	1,536,382	682,617
Acquisition of noncontrolling interest in property partnership	(108,499)	0	0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest in property partnerships	(172,949)	(37,118)	(9,624)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(1,558,546)	(632,487)	1,077,873
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(1,039,361)	(602,058)	1,323,159
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of year	1,763,079	2,365,137	1,041,978
Cash and cash equivalents, end of year	723,718	1,763,079	2,365,137
Supplemental disclosures:
Cash paid for interest	481,826	646,516	547,973
Interest capitalized	34,213	52,476	68,152
Non-cash investing and financing activities:
Change in real estate included in accounts payable and accrued expenses	74,985	(1,431)	(19,824)
Real estate and related intangibles recorded upon consolidation	0	0	3,356,000
Debt recorded upon consolidation	0	0	2,056,000
Working capital recorded upon consolidation	0	0	177,315
Noncontrolling Interests recorded upon consolidation	0	0	480,861
investment in unconsolidated joint venture elminated upon consolidation	0	0	361,808
Mortgage note extinguished through foreclosure	0	0	25,000
Real estate transferred upon foreclosure	0	0	7,508
Land improvements contributed by noncontrolling interests in property partnership	0	0	4,546
Marketable securities transferred in connection with the legal defeasance of mortgage note payable	667,335	0	0
Mortgage note payable legally defeased	640,500	0	0
Mortgage note payable assigned in connection with the sale of real estate	116,993	0	0
Dividends and distributions declared but not paid	327,320	882,472	497,242
Issuance of common stock in connection with the exchange of exchangeable senior notes	0	0	43,834
Conversions of redeemable partnership units to partners’ capital / stockholders equity	14,343	2,700	30,291
Conversion of redeemable preferred units to common units	0	33,306	16,494
Issuance of restricted securities to employees and directors	$ 43,355	$ 27,445	$ 30,077