Disclosure About Fair Value of Financial Instruments - Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Assets:
Mortgages and notes receivable, at fair value	[1]	$ 2,132	$ 13,142
Marketable securities of non-qualified deferred compensation plan (in prepaid expenses and other assets)		3,008	3,635
Tax increment financing bond (in prepaid expenses and other assets)		12,634	12,447
Total Assets		17,774	29,224
Liabilities:
Mortgages and notes payable, at fair value	[1]	2,520,419	2,141,334
Interest rate swaps (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)		5,535	2,412
Non-qualified deferred compensation obligation (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)		3,008	3,635
Financing obligation, at fair value	[1]	7,283	8,623
Total Liabilities		2,536,245	2,156,004
Level 1 [Member]
Assets:
Mortgages and notes receivable, at fair value	[1]	0	0
Marketable securities of non-qualified deferred compensation plan (in prepaid expenses and other assets)		3,008	3,635
Tax increment financing bond (in prepaid expenses and other assets)		0	0
Total Assets		3,008	3,635
Liabilities:
Mortgages and notes payable, at fair value	[1]	0	0
Interest rate swaps (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)		0	0
Non-qualified deferred compensation obligation (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)		3,008	3,635
Financing obligation, at fair value	[1]	0	0
Total Liabilities		3,008	3,635
Level 2 [Member]
Assets:
Mortgages and notes receivable, at fair value	[1]	2,132	2,247
Marketable securities of non-qualified deferred compensation plan (in prepaid expenses and other assets)		0	0
Tax increment financing bond (in prepaid expenses and other assets)		0	0
Total Assets		2,132	2,247
Liabilities:
Mortgages and notes payable, at fair value	[1]	2,520,419	2,141,334
Interest rate swaps (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)		5,535	2,412
Non-qualified deferred compensation obligation (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)		0	0
Financing obligation, at fair value	[1]	0	0
Total Liabilities		2,525,954	2,143,746
Level 3 [Member]
Assets:
Mortgages and notes receivable, at fair value	[1]	0	10,895
Marketable securities of non-qualified deferred compensation plan (in prepaid expenses and other assets)		0	0
Tax increment financing bond (in prepaid expenses and other assets)		12,634	12,447
Total Assets		12,634	23,342
Liabilities:
Mortgages and notes payable, at fair value	[1]	0	0
Interest rate swaps (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)		0	0
Non-qualified deferred compensation obligation (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)		0	0
Financing obligation, at fair value	[1]	7,283	8,623
Total Liabilities		7,283	8,623
Highwoods Properties, Inc. [Member]
Assets:
Noncontrolling Interests in the Operating Partnership		112,768	130,048
Highwoods Properties, Inc. [Member] | Level 1 [Member]
Assets:
Noncontrolling Interests in the Operating Partnership		112,768	130,048
Highwoods Properties, Inc. [Member] | Level 2 [Member]
Assets:
Noncontrolling Interests in the Operating Partnership		0	0
Highwoods Properties, Inc. [Member] | Level 3 [Member]
Assets:
Noncontrolling Interests in the Operating Partnership		$ 0	$ 0

[1] Amounts recorded at historical cost on our Consolidated Balance Sheets at September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014.