Segment Information (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012		Sep. 30, 2011		Sep. 30, 2012		Sep. 30, 2011
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	$ 128,214		$ 117,265		$ 382,120		$ 339,497
Total Net Operating Income	80,981		73,234		243,988		217,139
Reconciliation to income from continuing operations before disposition of property, condominiums and investments in unconsolidated affiliates and equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates:
Depreciation and amortization	(38,651)		(35,051)		(115,755)		(99,659)
Impairments of real estate assets	0		(2,429)		0		(2,429)
General and administrative expense	(9,725)		(12,212)		(28,298)		(27,983)
Interest expense	(23,612)		(24,271)		(72,661)		(71,476)
Interest and Other income	1,916		1,505		4,910		5,253
Income from continuing operations before disposition of property, condominiums and investments in unconsolidated affiliates and equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates	10,909		776		32,184		20,845
Total Office Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	112,668	[1]	102,331	[1]	336,021	[1]	294,965	[1]
Total Net Operating Income	70,714	[1]	63,551	[1]	213,666	[1]	187,994	[1]
Office Atlanta, GA [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	14,074		12,167		44,315		34,701
Total Net Operating Income	8,700		7,402		28,215		21,555
Office Greenville, SC [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	3,297		3,617		10,289		10,558
Total Net Operating Income	1,807		2,096		5,989		6,238
Office Kansas City, MO [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	4,015		3,412		11,176		10,371
Total Net Operating Income	2,547		2,000		7,064		6,255
Office Memphis, TN [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	9,106		9,393		27,612		27,808
Total Net Operating Income	5,381		5,166		16,234		15,297
Office Nashville, TN [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	14,289		13,793		42,471		40,106
Total Net Operating Income	9,777		9,273		29,262		27,275
Office Orlando, FL [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	2,747		2,676		8,189		7,612
Total Net Operating Income	1,368		1,378		4,214		3,829
Office Piedmont Triad, NC [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	5,603		4,913		15,753		15,546
Total Net Operating Income	3,330		2,895		9,780		9,944
Office Pittsburgh, PA [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	9,485		1,568		27,681		1,568
Total Net Operating Income	4,952		888		13,859		888
Office Raleigh, NC [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	20,585		20,047		60,758		59,462
Total Net Operating Income	13,907		13,900		42,045		41,386
Office Richmond, VA [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	11,852		13,375		35,453		36,425
Total Net Operating Income	7,868		7,767		24,283		23,852
Office Tampa, FL [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	17,615		17,370		52,324		50,808
Total Net Operating Income	11,077		10,786		32,721		31,475
Total Industrial Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	6,357	[1]	6,444	[1]	18,914	[1]	18,942	[1]
Total Net Operating Income	4,588	[1]	4,657	[1]	13,788	[1]	13,999	[1]
Industrial Atlanta, GA [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	3,215		3,293		9,522		9,989
Total Net Operating Income	2,331		2,406		6,936		7,417
Industrial Piedmont Triad, NC [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	3,142		3,151		9,392		8,953
Total Net Operating Income	2,257		2,251		6,852		6,582
Total Retail Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	9,189	[1]	8,490	[1]	27,185	[1]	25,590	[1]
Total Net Operating Income	5,679	[1]	5,026	[1]	16,534	[1]	15,146	[1]
Retail Kansas City, MO [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	9,189		8,490		27,185		25,590
Total Net Operating Income	5,679		5,026		16,534		15,146
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	128,214		117,265		382,120		339,497
Total Net Operating Income	81,055		73,302		244,183		217,121
Reconciliation to income from continuing operations before disposition of property, condominiums and investments in unconsolidated affiliates and equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates:
Depreciation and amortization	(38,651)		(35,051)		(115,755)		(99,659)
Impairments of real estate assets	0		(2,429)		0		(2,429)
General and administrative expense	(9,799)		(12,280)		(28,493)		(27,965)
Interest expense	(23,612)		(24,271)		(72,661)		(71,476)
Interest and Other income	1,916		1,505		4,910		5,253
Income from continuing operations before disposition of property, condominiums and investments in unconsolidated affiliates and equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates	10,909		776		32,184		20,845
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] | Total Office Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	112,668	[1]	102,331	[1]	336,021	[1]	294,965	[1]
Total Net Operating Income	70,779	[1]	63,611	[1]	213,837	[1]	187,980	[1]
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] | Office Atlanta, GA [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	14,074		12,167		44,315		34,701
Total Net Operating Income	8,708		7,409		28,239		21,556
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] | Office Greenville, SC [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	3,297		3,617		10,289		10,558
Total Net Operating Income	1,809		2,098		5,994		6,237
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] | Office Kansas City, MO [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	4,015		3,412		11,176		10,371
Total Net Operating Income	2,549		2,002		7,070		6,254
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] | Office Memphis, TN [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	9,106		9,393		27,612		27,808
Total Net Operating Income	5,386		5,171		16,247		15,295
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] | Office Nashville, TN [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	14,289		13,793		42,471		40,106
Total Net Operating Income	9,786		9,282		29,285		27,271
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] | Office Orlando, FL [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	2,747		2,676		8,189		7,612
Total Net Operating Income	1,369		1,379		4,217		3,829
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] | Office Piedmont Triad, NC [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	5,603		4,913		15,753		15,546
Total Net Operating Income	3,333		2,898		9,788		9,943
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] | Office Pittsburgh, PA [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	9,485		1,568		27,681		1,568
Total Net Operating Income	4,957		888		13,862		888
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] | Office Raleigh, NC [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	20,585		20,047		60,758		59,462
Total Net Operating Income	13,920		13,913		42,083		41,383
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] | Office Richmond, VA [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	11,852		13,375		35,453		36,425
Total Net Operating Income	7,875		7,774		24,302		23,851
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] | Office Tampa, FL [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	17,615		17,370		52,324		50,808
Total Net Operating Income	11,087		10,797		32,750		31,473
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] | Total Industrial Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	6,357	[1]	6,444	[1]	18,914	[1]	18,942	[1]
Total Net Operating Income	4,592	[1]	4,661	[1]	13,799	[1]	13,997	[1]
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] | Industrial Atlanta, GA [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	3,215		3,293		9,522		9,989
Total Net Operating Income	2,333		2,408		6,942		7,416
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] | Industrial Piedmont Triad, NC [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	3,142		3,151		9,392		8,953
Total Net Operating Income	2,259		2,253		6,857		6,581
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] | Total Retail Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	9,189	[1]	8,490	[1]	27,185	[1]	25,590	[1]
Total Net Operating Income	5,684	[1]	5,030	[1]	16,547	[1]	15,144	[1]
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] | Retail Kansas City, MO [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total Rental and Other Revenues	9,189		8,490		27,185		25,590
Total Net Operating Income	$ 5,684		$ 5,030		$ 16,547		$ 15,144

[1] Net of discontinued operations.