Real Estate and Other Assets Held For Sale (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Assets, held for sale [Abstract]
Land held for development	$ 2,606	$ 995
Net real estate assets	2,606	995
Prepaid expenses and other assets	23	43
Real estate and other assets, net, held for sale	$ 2,629	$ 1,038

For the disposal group, including a component of the entity (discontinued operation), the carrying amount of land available for development.

No definition available.

+ Details

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Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

For the disposal group, including a component of the entity (discontinued operations), the net book value of real estate property held for investment purposes.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	hiw_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Amount classified as other assets attributable to disposal group held for sale or disposed of.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 205

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 5B

-Subparagraph (e)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51717284&loc=SL51721673-107760

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 205

-SubTopic 20

-Section 45

-Paragraph 10

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51716988&loc=d3e1107-107759

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 205

-SubTopic 20

-Section 45

-Paragraph 11

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51716988&loc=SL51721533-107759

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 360

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 3

-Subparagraph (e)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51719941&loc=d3e2941-110230

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Balance Type:	debit
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- Definition

Carrying amount as of the balance sheet date of investments in land and buildings held for sale, excluding real estate considered to be inventory of the entity.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.1(f))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

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Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant