Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	9 Months Ended				3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	3 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013 property sqft acre	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013 Highwoods Properties, Inc. [Member] sqft	Dec. 31, 2012 Highwoods Properties, Inc. [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Highwoods Properties, Inc. [Member] ATM Equity Offering [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Highwoods Properties, Inc. [Member] ATM Equity Offering [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Highwoods Properties, Inc. [Member] Public Equity Offering (8/2013) [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]
Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
In-service office, industrial and retail properties (in units)	282
Square footage of commercial property (in sq feet)	30,100,000
Undeveloped land suitable for future development (in acres)	592
Undeveloped land considered core holdings (in acres)	496
Office properties under/planned for development (in units)	4
Percentage of equity interest in joint ventures, maximum (in hundredths)	50.00%
Number of real estate properties not wholly owned (in units)	23
Area of undeveloped land not wholly owned (in acres)	11
Percentage of equity interest in joint venture not owned by Operating Partership			12.50%
Square footage of real estate property not owned by Operating Partnership (in sq feet)			261,000
Common Units of partnership owned by the Company (in shares)			89,500,000
Percentage of ownership of Common Units			96.80%	95.60%
Common Units of partnership not owned by the Company (in shares)								2,900,000
Common Units redeemed for a like number of common shares of stock (in shares)	789,144
Number of Common Stock sold during the period (in shares)					904,809	3,961,190	4,312,500
Average price of Common Stock sold during the period (in dollars per share)					$ 35.81	$ 36.97
Net proceeds of Common Stock sold during the period	$ 305,601	$ 186,674			$ 31,900	$ 144,200	$ 150,900