Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Operating activities:
Net income	$ 101,260	$ 115,972	$ 131,097
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	215,957	196,023	182,710
Amortization of lease incentives and acquisition-related intangible assets and liabilities	86	442	345
Share-based compensation expense	6,884	6,939	6,899
Allowance for losses on accounts and accrued straight-line rents receivable	2,103	2,182	1,516
Accrued interest on mortgages and notes receivable	(357)	(477)	(485)
Amortization of deferred financing costs	3,645	3,082	3,802
Amortization of cash flow hedges	3,696	3,777	3,370
Amortization of mortgages and notes payable fair value adjustments	(58)	(788)	(1,825)
Impairments of real estate assets	0	588	2,194
Losses on debt extinguishment	243	308	199
Net gains on disposition of property	(11,444)	(44,736)	(63,789)
Gain on disposition of investment in unconsolidated affiliate	(4,155)	0	0
Gain on acquisition of controlling interest in unconsolidated affiliate	0	0	(7,451)
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates	(5,078)	(1,827)	(2,264)
Changes in financing obligation	162	(241)	(753)
Distributions of earnings from unconsolidated affiliates	4,901	2,687	3,985
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	1,415	(3,114)	(920)
Prepaid expenses and other assets	1,266	(615)	684
Accrued straight-line rents receivable	(22,756)	(21,685)	(18,253)
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	(8,891)	8,394	15,376
Net cash provided by operating activities	288,879	266,911	256,437
Investing activities:
Investments in acquired real estate and related intangible assets, net of cash acquired	(408,634)	(163,641)	(418,796)
Investments in development in-process	(136,664)	(183,873)	(34,474)
Investments in tenant improvements and deferred leasing costs	(115,503)	(113,747)	(103,243)
Investments in building improvements	(55,881)	(50,033)	(53,189)
Investment in acquired noncontrolling interest in consolidated affiliate	0	(4,126)	0
Investment in acquired controlling interest in unconsolidated affiliate	0	0	(32,818)
Net proceeds from disposition of real estate assets	26,748	172,442	254,022
Net proceeds from disposition of investment in unconsolidated affiliate	6,919	0	0
Distributions of capital from unconsolidated affiliates	10,401	3,806	27,486
Investments in mortgages and notes receivable	(1,772)	(864)	(902)
Repayments of mortgages and notes receivable	9,381	17,239	405
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated affiliates	(659)	(6,489)	(429)
Repayments from unconsolidated affiliates	20,800	0	0
Redemption of investment In unconsolidated affiliate	0	4,660	0
Changes in restricted cash and other investing activities	(9,293)	(3,552)	5,335
Net cash used in investing activities	(654,157)	(328,178)	(356,603)
Financing activities:
Dividends on Common Stock	(160,337)	(154,165)	(145,964)
Redemptions/repurchases of Preferred Stock	(10)	(17)	0
Redemptions of Common Units	0	(93)	0
Dividends on Preferred Stock	(2,506)	(2,507)	(2,508)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership	(4,959)	(4,994)	(5,667)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	(1,398)	(1,140)	(546)
Proceeds from the issuance of Common Stock	131,341	117,716	316,081
Costs paid for the issuance of Common Stock	(2,040)	(1,586)	(7,678)
Repurchase of shares related to tax withholdings	(3,764)	(3,506)	(2,557)
Borrowings on revolving credit facility	476,300	506,900	837,000
Repayments of revolving credit facility	(386,300)	(513,600)	(644,300)
Borrowings on mortgages and notes payable	475,000	296,949	0
Repayments of mortgages and notes payable	(156,120)	(174,302)	(259,202)
Payments on financing obligation	(1,722)	(2,904)	(1,941)
Payments of debt extinguishment costs	0	(369)	0
Contributions from noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	0	0	16,240
Changes in deferred financing costs and other financing activities	(2,003)	(2,467)	(2,391)
Net cash provided by financing activities	361,482	59,915	96,567
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(3,796)	(1,352)	(3,599)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period	8,832	10,184	13,783
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period	5,036	8,832	10,184
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Cash paid for interest, net of amounts capitalized	82,242	83,086	85,919
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities:
Unrealized gains/(losses) on cash flow hedges	(4,040)	(5,662)	5,778
Conversions of Common Units to Common Stock	1,645	162	28,788
Changes in accrued capital expenditures	2,547	5,283	18,384
Write-off of fully depreciated real estate assets	48,698	42,633	31,008
Write-off of fully amortized deferred financing and leasing costs	38,264	25,286	27,347
Adjustment of noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership to fair value	67	25,275	11,375
Unrealized gains on tax increment financing bond	445	584	869
Assumption of mortgages and notes payable related to acquisition activities	19,277	0	165,515
Contingent consideration in connection with the acquisition of land	900	3,300	0
Option deposit applied upon acquisition of real estate assets	0	0	5,000
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]
Operating activities:
Net income	101,260	115,972	131,046
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	215,957	196,023	182,710
Amortization of lease incentives and acquisition-related intangible assets and liabilities	86	442	345
Share-based compensation expense	6,884	6,939	6,899
Allowance for losses on accounts and accrued straight-line rents receivable	2,103	2,182	1,516
Accrued interest on mortgages and notes receivable	(357)	(477)	(485)
Amortization of deferred financing costs	3,645	3,082	3,802
Amortization of cash flow hedges	3,696	3,777	3,370
Amortization of mortgages and notes payable fair value adjustments	(58)	(788)	(1,825)
Impairments of real estate assets	0	588	2,194
Losses on debt extinguishment	243	308	199
Net gains on disposition of property	(11,444)	(44,736)	(63,789)
Gain on disposition of investment in unconsolidated affiliate	(4,155)	0	0
Gain on acquisition of controlling interest in unconsolidated affiliate	0	0	(7,451)
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates	(5,078)	(1,827)	(2,213)
Changes in financing obligation	162	(241)	(753)
Distributions of earnings from unconsolidated affiliates	4,901	2,687	3,965
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	1,415	(3,114)	(920)
Prepaid expenses and other assets	1,266	(615)	684
Accrued straight-line rents receivable	(22,756)	(21,685)	(18,253)
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	(8,805)	8,383	15,421
Net cash provided by operating activities	288,965	266,900	256,462
Investing activities:
Investments in acquired real estate and related intangible assets, net of cash acquired	(408,634)	(163,641)	(418,796)
Investments in development in-process	(136,664)	(183,873)	(34,474)
Investments in tenant improvements and deferred leasing costs	(115,503)	(113,747)	(103,243)
Investments in building improvements	(55,881)	(50,033)	(53,189)
Investment in acquired noncontrolling interest in consolidated affiliate	0	(4,126)	0
Investment in acquired controlling interest in unconsolidated affiliate	0	0	(32,818)
Net proceeds from disposition of real estate assets	26,748	172,442	254,022
Net proceeds from disposition of investment in unconsolidated affiliate	6,919	0	0
Distributions of capital from unconsolidated affiliates	10,401	3,806	27,486
Investments in mortgages and notes receivable	(1,772)	(864)	(902)
Repayments of mortgages and notes receivable	9,381	17,239	405
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated affiliates	(659)	(6,489)	(429)
Repayments from unconsolidated affiliates	20,800	0	0
Redemption of investment In unconsolidated affiliate	0	4,660	0
Changes in restricted cash and other investing activities	(9,293)	(3,552)	5,335
Net cash used in investing activities	(654,157)	(328,178)	(356,603)
Financing activities:
Distributions on Common Units	(164,601)	(158,464)	(150,936)
Redemptions/repurchases of Preferred Units	(10)	(17)	0
Redemptions of Common Units	0	(93)	0
Distributions on Preferred Units	(2,506)	(2,507)	(2,508)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	(1,398)	(1,140)	(546)
Proceeds from the issuance of Common Units	131,341	117,716	316,081
Costs paid for the issuance of Common Units	(2,040)	(1,586)	(7,678)
Repurchase of units related to tax withholdings	(3,764)	(3,506)	(2,557)
Borrowings on revolving credit facility	476,300	506,900	837,000
Repayments of revolving credit facility	(386,300)	(513,600)	(644,300)
Borrowings on mortgages and notes payable	475,000	296,949	0
Repayments of mortgages and notes payable	(156,120)	(174,302)	(259,202)
Payments on financing obligation	(1,722)	(2,904)	(1,941)
Payments of debt extinguishment costs	0	(369)	0
Contributions from noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	0	0	16,240
Changes in deferred financing costs and other financing activities	(2,890)	(3,142)	(3,098)
Net cash provided by financing activities	361,290	59,935	96,555
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(3,902)	(1,343)	(3,586)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period	8,938	10,281	13,867
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period	5,036	8,938	10,281
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Cash paid for interest, net of amounts capitalized	82,242	83,086	85,919
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities:
Unrealized gains/(losses) on cash flow hedges	(4,040)	(5,662)	5,778
Changes in accrued capital expenditures	2,547	5,283	18,384
Write-off of fully depreciated real estate assets	48,698	42,633	31,008
Write-off of fully amortized deferred financing and leasing costs	38,264	25,286	27,347
Adjustment of Redeemable Common Units to fair value	(3,619)	23,568	(18,389)
Unrealized gains on tax increment financing bond	445	584	869
Assumption of mortgages and notes payable related to acquisition activities	19,277	0	165,515
Contingent consideration in connection with the acquisition of land	900	3,300	0
Option deposit applied upon acquisition of real estate assets	$ 0	$ 0	$ 5,000