Segment Information (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2011		Jun. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2011
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	$ 130,735		$ 114,651		$ 258,768		$ 226,981
Total Net Operating Income	83,646		74,720		166,480		147,143
Reconciliation to income from continuing operations before disposition of property and condominiums and equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates:
Depreciation and amortization	(40,276)		(32,684)		(78,105)		(65,621)
General and administrative expense	(8,900)		(7,978)		(18,573)		(15,771)
Interest expense	(24,495)		(23,907)		(49,297)		(47,450)
Interest and other income	764		1,875		2,994		3,748
Income from continuing operations before disposition of property and condominiums and equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates	10,739		12,026		23,499		22,049
Total Office Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	114,724	[1]	99,595	[1]	226,896	[1]	196,114	[1]
Total Net Operating Income	73,254	[1]	64,780	[1]	145,378	[1]	126,851	[1]
Office Atlanta, GA [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	16,209		12,341		31,993		24,242
Total Net Operating Income	10,426		7,973		20,821		15,464
Office Greenville, SC [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	3,489		3,437		6,993		6,942
Total Net Operating Income	2,051		2,067		4,183		4,142
Office Kansas City, MO [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	3,560		3,441		7,163		6,960
Total Net Operating Income	2,186		2,112		4,518		4,256
Office Memphis, TN [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	10,130		10,077		20,268		20,179
Total Net Operating Income	5,841		5,462		11,942		11,222
Office Nashville, TN [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	14,321		13,572		28,186		26,315
Total Net Operating Income	9,835		9,369		19,490		18,001
Office Orlando, FL [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	2,756		2,619		5,443		4,936
Total Net Operating Income	1,431		1,284		2,847		2,450
Office Piedmont Triad, NC [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	5,072		5,273		10,152		10,637
Total Net Operating Income	3,219		3,452		6,452		7,053
Office Pittsburgh, PA [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	9,113		0		18,199		0
Total Net Operating Income	4,627		0		8,910		0
Office Raleigh, NC [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	20,400		20,103		40,179		39,421
Total Net Operating Income	14,291		14,273		28,146		27,489
Office Richmond, VA [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	12,095		11,668		23,605		23,046
Total Net Operating Income	8,536		8,231		16,419		16,090
Office Tampa, FL [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	17,579		17,064		34,715		33,436
Total Net Operating Income	10,811		10,557		21,650		20,684
Total Industrial Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	6,936	[1]	6,853	[1]	13,874	[1]	13,764	[1]
Total Net Operating Income	5,069	[1]	5,108	[1]	10,245	[1]	10,171	[1]
Industrial Atlanta, GA [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	3,849		4,028		7,623		7,962
Total Net Operating Income	2,761		3,001		5,649		5,840
Industrial Piedmont Triad, NC [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	3,087		2,825		6,251		5,802
Total Net Operating Income	2,308		2,107		4,596		4,331
Total Retail Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	9,075	[1]	8,203	[1]	17,998	[1]	17,103	[1]
Total Net Operating Income	5,323	[1]	4,832	[1]	10,857	[1]	10,121	[1]
Retail Kansas City, MO [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	9,075		8,203		17,998		17,103
Total Net Operating Income	5,323		4,832		10,857		10,121
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	130,735		114,651		258,768		226,981
Total Net Operating Income	83,705		74,783		166,601		147,057
Reconciliation to income from continuing operations before disposition of property and condominiums and equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates:
Depreciation and amortization	(40,276)		(32,684)		(78,105)		(65,621)
General and administrative expense	(8,959)		(8,041)		(18,694)		(15,685)
Interest expense	(24,495)		(23,907)		(49,297)		(47,450)
Interest and other income	764		1,875		2,994		3,748
Income from continuing operations before disposition of property and condominiums and equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates	10,739		12,026		23,499		22,049
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] | Total Office Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	114,724	[1]	99,595	[1]	226,896	[1]	196,114	[1]
Total Net Operating Income	73,305	[1]	64,834	[1]	145,484	[1]	126,777	[1]
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] | Office Atlanta, GA [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	16,209		12,341		31,993		24,242
Total Net Operating Income	10,435		7,980		20,837		15,456
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] | Office Greenville, SC [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	3,489		3,437		6,993		6,942
Total Net Operating Income	2,052		2,069		4,186		4,140
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] | Office Kansas City, MO [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	3,560		3,441		7,163		6,960
Total Net Operating Income	2,188		2,114		4,521		4,254
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] | Office Memphis, TN [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	10,130		10,077		20,268		20,179
Total Net Operating Income	5,845		5,467		11,951		11,215
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] | Office Nashville, TN [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	14,321		13,572		28,186		26,315
Total Net Operating Income	9,842		9,376		19,504		17,989
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] | Office Orlando, FL [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	2,756		2,619		5,443		4,936
Total Net Operating Income	1,432		1,285		2,849		2,449
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] | Office Piedmont Triad, NC [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	5,072		5,273		10,152		10,637
Total Net Operating Income	3,221		3,455		6,457		7,049
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] | Office Pittsburgh, PA [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	9,113		0		18,199		0
Total Net Operating Income	4,630		0		8,911		0
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] | Office Raleigh, NC [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	20,400		20,103		40,179		39,421
Total Net Operating Income	14,301		14,285		28,169		27,473
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] | Office Richmond, VA [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	12,095		11,668		23,605		23,046
Total Net Operating Income	8,541		8,238		16,431		16,080
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] | Office Tampa, FL [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	17,579		17,064		34,715		33,436
Total Net Operating Income	10,818		10,565		21,668		20,672
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] | Total Industrial Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	6,936	[1]	6,853	[1]	13,874	[1]	13,764	[1]
Total Net Operating Income	5,073	[1]	5,113	[1]	10,252	[1]	10,165	[1]
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] | Industrial Atlanta, GA [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	3,849		4,028		7,623		7,962
Total Net Operating Income	2,763		3,004		5,653		5,837
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] | Industrial Piedmont Triad, NC [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	3,087		2,825		6,251		5,802
Total Net Operating Income	2,310		2,109		4,599		4,328
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] | Total Retail Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	9,075	[1]	8,203	[1]	17,998	[1]	17,103	[1]
Total Net Operating Income	5,327	[1]	4,836	[1]	10,865	[1]	10,115	[1]
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] | Retail Kansas City, MO [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	9,075		8,203		17,998		17,103
Total Net Operating Income	$ 5,327		$ 4,836		$ 10,865		$ 10,115

[1] Net of discontinued operations.