Percentage of building currently leased by the buyer.

No definition available.

Name:	hiw_BuyerOccupancyPercentage
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- Definition

Additional amount paid by buyer in the event of default.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

The number of buildings sold.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

The purchase price of real estate before and/or after closing credits to buyer for unfunded tenant improvements, building improvements and/or free rent, if any.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

The amount of square footage related to real estate properties.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hiw_RentableSquareFeetOfCommercialRealEstate
Namespace Prefix:	hiw_
Data Type:	num:areaItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The number of real estate properties under/planned for development as of the balance sheet date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	hiw_
Data Type:	num:areaItemType
Balance Type:	na
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- Definition

A deposit made by a purchaser of real estate to evidence good faith. It is customary for a buyer to give the seller earnest money at the time a sales contract is signed. The earnest money generally is credited to the down payment at closing, which is applied at closing as a component of payment against the purchase price.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EarnestMoneyDeposits
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of gain (loss) on sale or disposal of property, plant and equipment assets, excluding oil and gas property and timber property.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51717284&loc=d3e1361-107760

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 360
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51719941&loc=d3e2941-110230

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Detail information of subsequent event by type. User is expected to use existing line items from elsewhere in the taxonomy as the primary line items for this disclosure, which is further associated with dimension and member elements pertaining to a subsequent event.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Details

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- Details

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- Details

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- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis=us-gaap_OfficeBuildingMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis=us-gaap_RetailSiteMember
Namespace Prefix:
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Subsequent Events (Details) $ in Thousands		1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
Subsequent Events (Details) $ in Thousands	Jan. 04, 2016 USD ($) ft² property	Jan. 29, 2016 USD ($) ft²	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) ft²	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Rentable square feet of commercial real estate (in square feet)			32,486,000
Rentable square feet of commercial real estate under development (in square feet)			1,454,200
Gains on disposition of property \| $			$ 11,444	$ 44,352	$ (3)
Closure of Division Office [Member] \| Subsequent Event [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Purchase price of real estate \| $	$ 660,000
Number of buildings sold \| property	18
Earnest money deposit for purchase of real estate \| $	$ 25,000
Contract default payment for purchase of real estate \| $	$ 25,000
Related Party Transaction [Member] \| Subsequent Event [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Purchase price of real estate \| $		$ 4,700
Percentage of building currently leased by buyer (in hundredths)		79.00%
Gains on disposition of property \| $		$ 1,000
Office Property [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Rentable square feet of commercial real estate (in square feet)			468,000
Office Property [Member] \| Closure of Division Office [Member] \| Subsequent Event [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Rentable square feet of commercial real estate (in square feet)	468,000
Office Property [Member] \| Related Party Transaction [Member] \| Subsequent Event [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Rentable square feet of commercial real estate (in square feet)		32,000
Retail Property [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Rentable square feet of commercial real estate (in square feet)			776,000
Rentable square feet of commercial real estate under development (in square feet)			28,000
Retail Property [Member] \| Closure of Division Office [Member] \| Subsequent Event [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Rentable square feet of commercial real estate (in square feet)	776,000
Rentable square feet of commercial real estate under development (in square feet)	28,000