Subsequent Events (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		0 Months Ended	1 Months Ended		0 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Oct. 02, 2013 Atlanta, GA Office Property Dispositon (10/2013) [Member]	Oct. 24, 2013 Winston-Salem, NC Office Properties Disposition (9/2013) [Member] property	Oct. 28, 2013 Winston-Salem, NC Office Property Disposition 2 (10/2013) [Member]	Oct. 02, 2013 5.74% to 5.89% Mortgage Loans Due 2014 [Member] loans	Oct. 03, 2013 5.45% (5.12% effective rate) Mortgage Loan due 2014 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Highwoods Properties, Inc. [Member]	Oct. 02, 2013 Highwoods Properties, Inc. [Member] Board of Trade Investment Company [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Percentage of equity interest in joint venture not owned by Operating Partership										12.50%	12.50%
Early repayment of debt								$ 32,300,000	$ 67,500,000
Number of debt instruments repaid								4
Current interest rate (in hundredths)								5.79%	5.12%
Debt instrument maturity date								Jan. 01, 2014	Jan. 01, 2014
Number of office properties sold						4
Proceeds received from sale of real estate					13,800,000	6,200,000	5,300,000
Gain/(loss) on disposition of discontinued operations	$ 37,946,000	$ 22,936,000	$ 52,353,000	$ 29,455,000	$ 3,000,000	$ 126,000	$ 2,500,000