Guarantor and Non-Guarantor Financial Information- Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Assets:
Land	$ 669,848	$ 676,091
Buildings and improvements, less accumulated depreciation	2,927,324	2,837,463
Intangible lease assets, less accumulated amortization	99,695	84,663
Construction in progress	34,825	20,975
Real estate assets held for sale, net	0	76,614
Total real estate assets	3,731,692	3,695,806
Investments in and amounts due from unconsolidated joint ventures	7,360	7,577
Cash and cash equivalents	6,992	5,441	$ 12,306	$ 6,973
Tenant and straight-line receivables, net	192,342	173,732
Advances to affiliates	0	0
Investment in subsidiary	0	0
Notes receivable	0	45,400
Prepaid expenses, restricted cash, escrows, and other assets	24,867	29,951
Goodwill	180,097	180,097
Deferred lease costs, net	305,997	288,041
Other assets held for sale, net	0	8,490
Total assets	4,449,347	4,434,535
Liabilities:
Debt, net	2,020,475	2,029,510
Accounts payable, accrued expenses, dividends payable, and accrued capital expenditures	165,410	128,465
Advances from affiliates	0	0
Deferred income	28,406	27,270
Intangible lease liabilities, net	48,005	42,853
Interest rate swaps	8,169	9,993
Total liabilities	2,270,465	2,238,091
Stockholders’ Equity:
Common stock	1,452	1,455
Additional paid-in capital	3,673,128	3,669,977
Retained/(cumulative distributions in excess of) earnings	(1,499,684)	(1,477,674)
Other comprehensive loss	2,104	1,661
Piedmont stockholders’ equity	2,177,000	2,195,419
Noncontrolling interest	1,882	1,025
Total stockholders’ equity	2,178,882	2,196,444	2,312,015	2,461,159
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	4,449,347	4,434,535
Eliminations [Member]
Assets:
Land	0	0
Buildings and improvements, less accumulated depreciation	(300)	(300)
Intangible lease assets, less accumulated amortization	0	0
Construction in progress	0	0
Real estate assets held for sale, net		0
Total real estate assets	(300)	(300)
Investments in and amounts due from unconsolidated joint ventures	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Tenant and straight-line receivables, net	0	0
Advances to affiliates	(7,722,197)	(7,325,136)
Investment in subsidiary	(3,630,745)	(3,752,709)
Notes receivable	(184,700)	(113,240)
Prepaid expenses, restricted cash, escrows, and other assets	(1,897)	(1,258)
Goodwill	0	0
Deferred lease costs, net	0	0
Other assets held for sale, net		0
Total assets	(11,539,839)	(11,192,643)
Liabilities:
Debt, net	(184,700)	(113,240)
Accounts payable, accrued expenses, dividends payable, and accrued capital expenditures	(1,897)	(1,258)
Advances from affiliates	(7,820,453)	(7,402,632)
Deferred income	0	0
Intangible lease liabilities, net	0	0
Interest rate swaps	0	0
Total liabilities	(8,007,050)	(7,517,130)
Stockholders’ Equity:
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	(3,630,745)	(3,752,710)
Retained/(cumulative distributions in excess of) earnings	97,956	77,197
Other comprehensive loss	0	0
Piedmont stockholders’ equity	(3,532,789)	(3,675,513)
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	(3,532,789)	(3,675,513)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	(11,539,839)	(11,192,643)
Issuer [Member]
Assets:
Land	46,133	54,459
Buildings and improvements, less accumulated depreciation	228,194	270,057
Intangible lease assets, less accumulated amortization	725	1,268
Construction in progress	145	240
Real estate assets held for sale, net		76,614
Total real estate assets	275,197	402,638
Investments in and amounts due from unconsolidated joint ventures	7,360	7,577
Cash and cash equivalents	3,674	2,174	8,143	3,261
Tenant and straight-line receivables, net	20,159	23,738
Advances to affiliates	6,406,581	6,073,606
Investment in subsidiary	0	0
Notes receivable	88,910	134,750
Prepaid expenses, restricted cash, escrows, and other assets	6,189	7,091
Goodwill	180,097	180,097
Deferred lease costs, net	16,550	20,939
Other assets held for sale, net		8,490
Total assets	7,004,717	6,861,100
Liabilities:
Debt, net	1,701,933	1,552,007
Accounts payable, accrued expenses, dividends payable, and accrued capital expenditures	17,365	18,954
Advances from affiliates	708,340	580,526
Deferred income	5,206	5,905
Intangible lease liabilities, net	0	0
Interest rate swaps	8,169	9,993
Total liabilities	2,441,013	2,167,385
Stockholders’ Equity:
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	3,626,564	3,748,524
Retained/(cumulative distributions in excess of) earnings	935,036	943,530
Other comprehensive loss	2,104	1,661
Piedmont stockholders’ equity	4,563,704	4,693,715
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	4,563,704	4,693,715
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	7,004,717	6,861,100
Guarantor [Member]
Assets:
Land	0	0
Buildings and improvements, less accumulated depreciation	0	0
Intangible lease assets, less accumulated amortization	0	0
Construction in progress	0	0
Real estate assets held for sale, net		0
Total real estate assets	0	0
Investments in and amounts due from unconsolidated joint ventures	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents	150	150	1,790	150
Tenant and straight-line receivables, net	0	0
Advances to affiliates	1,315,616	1,251,530
Investment in subsidiary	3,630,564	3,752,523
Notes receivable	0	0
Prepaid expenses, restricted cash, escrows, and other assets	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Deferred lease costs, net	0	0
Other assets held for sale, net		0
Total assets	4,946,330	5,004,203
Liabilities:
Debt, net	0	0
Accounts payable, accrued expenses, dividends payable, and accrued capital expenditures	31,230	580
Advances from affiliates	5,071,521	5,033,266
Deferred income	0	0
Intangible lease liabilities, net	0	0
Interest rate swaps	0	0
Total liabilities	5,102,751	5,033,846
Stockholders’ Equity:
Common stock	1,452	1,455
Additional paid-in capital	3,676,000	3,672,849
Retained/(cumulative distributions in excess of) earnings	(3,833,873)	(3,703,947)
Other comprehensive loss	0	0
Piedmont stockholders’ equity	(156,421)	(29,643)
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	(156,421)	(29,643)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	4,946,330	5,004,203
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Assets:
Land	623,715	621,632
Buildings and improvements, less accumulated depreciation	2,699,430	2,567,706
Intangible lease assets, less accumulated amortization	98,970	83,395
Construction in progress	34,680	20,735
Real estate assets held for sale, net		0
Total real estate assets	3,456,795	3,293,468
Investments in and amounts due from unconsolidated joint ventures	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents	3,168	3,117	$ 2,373	$ 3,562
Tenant and straight-line receivables, net	172,183	149,994
Advances to affiliates	0	0
Investment in subsidiary	181	186
Notes receivable	95,790	23,890
Prepaid expenses, restricted cash, escrows, and other assets	20,575	24,118
Goodwill	0	0
Deferred lease costs, net	289,447	267,102
Other assets held for sale, net		0
Total assets	4,038,139	3,761,875
Liabilities:
Debt, net	503,242	590,743
Accounts payable, accrued expenses, dividends payable, and accrued capital expenditures	118,712	110,189
Advances from affiliates	2,040,592	1,788,840
Deferred income	23,200	21,365
Intangible lease liabilities, net	48,005	42,853
Interest rate swaps	0	0
Total liabilities	2,733,751	2,553,990
Stockholders’ Equity:
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	1,309	1,314
Retained/(cumulative distributions in excess of) earnings	1,301,197	1,205,546
Other comprehensive loss	0	0
Piedmont stockholders’ equity	1,302,506	1,206,860
Noncontrolling interest	1,882	1,025
Total stockholders’ equity	1,304,388	1,207,885
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$ 4,038,139	$ 3,761,875