Consolidated Statements of Equity - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]	Common Stock [Member]	Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Shares [Member]	General Partner Common Units [Member] Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]	Limited Partner Common Units [Member] Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member] Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]	Noncontrolling Interests in Consolidated Affiliates [Member]	Noncontrolling Interests in Consolidated Affiliates [Member] Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]	Distributions in Excess of Net Income Available for Common Stockholders [Member]
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2012			80,311,437
Balance at Dec. 31, 2012	$ 1,173,664	$ 1,143,804	$ 803	$ 29,077	$ 11,515	$ 1,140,164	$ 2,040,306	$ (12,628)	$ (12,628)	$ 4,753	$ 4,753	$ (888,647)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Issuances of Common Units, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings		305,846			3,058	302,788			0		0
Distributions paid on Common Units		(150,936)			(1,509)	(149,427)			0		0
Distributions paid on Preferred Units		(2,508)			(25)	(2,483)			0		0
Issuances of Common Stock - Shares			8,670,517
Issuances of Common Stock, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings	305,846		$ 87	0			305,759	0		0		0
Conversions of Common Units to Common Stock - Shares			789,144
Conversions of Common Units to Common Stock	28,788		$ 0	0			28,788	0		0		0
Dividends on Common Stock	(145,964)		0	0			0	0		0		(145,964)
Dividends on Preferred Stock	(2,508)		0	0			0	0		0		(2,508)
Adjustment of noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership to fair value	(11,375)		0	0			(11,375)	0		0		0
Distributions to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	(546)	(546)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	(546)	(546)	0
Contributions from noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	16,240	16,240	$ 0	0	0	0	0	0	0	16,240	16,240	0
Issuances of restricted stock - Shares			151,630
Issuances of restricted stock	0		$ 0	0			0	0		0		0
Share-based compensation expense, net of forfeitures - Shares			(1,813)
Share-based compensation expense, net of forfeitures	6,899	6,899	$ 9	0	69	6,830	6,890	0	0	0	0	0
Adjustment of Redeemable Common Units to fair value and contributions/distributions from/to the General Partner		18,700			187	18,513			0		0
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership	(4,691)		0	0			0	0		0		(4,691)
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	0	0	0	0	(9)	(940)	0	0	0	949	949	(949)
Comprehensive income:
Net income	131,097	131,046	0	0	1,310	129,736	0	0	0	0	0	131,097
Other comprehensive income/(loss)	10,017	10,017	0	0	0	0	0	10,017	10,017	0	0	0
Total comprehensive income	141,114	141,063
Balance at Dec. 31, 2013	1,507,467	1,478,562	$ 899	29,077	14,596	1,445,181	2,370,368	(2,611)	(2,611)	21,396	21,396	(911,662)
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2013			89,920,915
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Issuances of Common Units, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings		112,624			1,126	111,498			0		0
Redemptions of Common Units		(93)			(1)	(92)			0		0
Distributions paid on Common Units		(158,464)			(1,585)	(156,879)			0		0
Distributions paid on Preferred Units		(2,507)			(25)	(2,482)			0		0
Issuances of Common Stock - Shares			2,812,477
Issuances of Common Stock, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings	112,624		$ 28	0			112,596	0		0		0
Conversions of Common Units to Common Stock - Shares			4,417
Conversions of Common Units to Common Stock	162		$ 0	0			162	0		0		0
Dividends on Common Stock	(154,165)		0	0			0	0		0		(154,165)
Dividends on Preferred Stock	(2,507)		0	0			0	0		0		(2,507)
Adjustment of noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership to fair value	(25,275)		0	0			(25,275)	0		0		0
Acquisition of noncontrolling interest in consolidated affiliate	(4,126)	(4,126)	0	0	(5)	(508)	(513)	0	0	(3,613)	(3,613)	0
Distributions to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	(1,140)	(1,140)	$ 0	0	0	0	0	0	0	(1,140)	(1,140)	0
Issuances of restricted stock - Shares			169,501
Issuances of restricted stock	0		$ 0	0			0	0		0		0
Redemptions/repurchases of Preferred Stock	(17)		0	$ (17)			0	0		0		0
Share-based compensation expense, net of forfeitures	6,939	6,939	2		69	6,870	6,937	0	0	0	0	0
Adjustment of Redeemable Common Units to fair value and contributions/distributions from/to the General Partner		(24,243)			(242)	(24,001)			0		0
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership	(3,542)		0	$ 0			0	0		0		(3,542)
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	0	0	0	0	(15)	(1,451)	0	0	0	1,466	1,466	(1,466)
Comprehensive income:
Net income	115,972	115,972	0	0	1,160	114,812	0	0	0	0	0	115,972
Other comprehensive income/(loss)	(1,301)	(1,301)	0	0	0	0	0	(1,301)	(1,301)	0	0	0
Total comprehensive income	114,671	114,671
Balance at Dec. 31, 2014	$ 1,551,091	1,522,223	$ 929	29,060	15,078	1,492,948	2,464,275	(3,912)	(3,912)	18,109	18,109	(957,370)
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2014	92,907,310		92,907,310
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Issuances of Common Units, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings		125,537			1,255	124,282			0		0
Distributions paid on Common Units		(164,601)			(1,646)	(162,955)			0		0
Distributions paid on Preferred Units		(2,506)			(25)	(2,481)			0		0
Issuances of Common Stock - Shares			3,023,710
Issuances of Common Stock, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings	$ 125,537		$ 30	0			125,507	0		0		0
Conversions of Common Units to Common Stock - Shares			37,203
Conversions of Common Units to Common Stock	1,645		$ 0	0			1,645	0		0		0
Dividends on Common Stock	(160,337)		0	0			0	0		0		(160,337)
Dividends on Preferred Stock	(2,506)		0	0			0	0		0		(2,506)
Adjustment of noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership to fair value	(67)		0	0			(67)	0		0		0
Distributions to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	(1,398)	(1,398)	$ 0	0	0	0	0	0	0	(1,398)	(1,398)	0
Issuances of restricted stock - Shares			128,951
Issuances of restricted stock	0		$ 0	0			0	0		0		0
Redemptions/repurchases of Preferred Stock	(10)		$ 0	$ (10)			0	0		0		0
Share-based compensation expense, net of forfeitures - Shares			(5,242)
Share-based compensation expense, net of forfeitures	6,884	6,884	$ 2		69	6,815	6,882	0	0	0	0	0
Adjustment of Redeemable Common Units to fair value and contributions/distributions from/to the General Partner		2,732			28	2,704			0		0
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership	(2,918)		0	$ 0			0	0		0		(2,918)
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	0	0	0	0	(13)	(1,251)	0	0	0	1,264	1,264	(1,264)
Comprehensive income:
Net income	101,260	101,260	0	0	1,013	100,247	0	0	0	0	0	101,260
Other comprehensive income/(loss)	101	101	0	0	0	0	0	101	101	0	0	0
Total comprehensive income	101,361	101,361
Balance at Dec. 31, 2015	$ 1,619,282	$ 1,590,232	$ 961	$ 29,050	$ 15,759	$ 1,560,309	$ 2,598,242	$ (3,811)	$ (3,811)	$ 17,975	$ 17,975	$ (1,023,135)
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2015	96,091,932		96,091,932