Consolidated Statements of Equity - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]	Special Dividend [Member]	Special Dividend [Member] Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]	Common Stock [Member]	Common Stock [Member] Special Dividend [Member]	Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Shares [Member]	Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Shares [Member] Special Dividend [Member]	General Partner Common Units [Member] Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]	General Partner Common Units [Member] Special Dividend [Member] Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]	Limited Partner Common Units [Member] Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]	Limited Partner Common Units [Member] Special Dividend [Member] Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member] Special Dividend [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member] Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member] Special Dividend [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member] Special Dividend [Member] Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]	Noncontrolling Interests in Consolidated Affiliates [Member]	Noncontrolling Interests in Consolidated Affiliates [Member] Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]	Noncontrolling Interests in Consolidated Affiliates [Member] Special Dividend [Member]	Noncontrolling Interests in Consolidated Affiliates [Member] Special Dividend [Member] Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]	Distributions in Excess of Net Income Available for Common Stockholders [Member]	Distributions in Excess of Net Income Available for Common Stockholders [Member] Special Dividend [Member]
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2013					89,920,915
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)
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 on Common Units		(158,464)							(1,585)		(156,879)					0				0
Distributions 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 - Shares					0
Share-based compensation expense, net of forfeitures	6,939	6,939			$ 2		0		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
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 on Common Units		(164,601)							(1,646)		(162,955)					0				0
Distributions 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		0		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
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Issuances of Common Units, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings		256,380							2,564		253,816					0				0
Distributions on Common Units		(171,054)		$ (83,149)					(1,710)	$ (832)	(169,344)	$ (82,317)				0		$ 0		0		$ 0
Distributions on Preferred Units		(2,501)							(25)		(2,476)					0				0
Issuances of Common Stock - Shares					5,390,710
Issuances of Common Stock, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings	$ 256,380				$ 54		0						256,326		0				0				0
Conversions of Common Units to Common Stock - Shares					61,048
Conversions of Common Units to Common Stock	3,057				$ 0		0						3,057		0				0				0
Dividends on Common Stock	(166,861)		$ (81,205)		0	$ 0	0	$ 0					0	$ 0	0		$ 0		0		$ 0		(166,861)	$ (81,205)
Dividends on Preferred Stock	(2,501)				0		0						0		0				0				(2,501)
Adjustment of noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership to fair value	(12,993)				0		0						(12,993)		0				0				0
Distributions to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	(1,267)	(1,267)			$ 0		0		0		0		0		0	0			(1,267)	(1,267)			0
Issuances of restricted stock - Shares					130,752
Issuances of restricted stock	0				$ 0		0						0		0				0				0
Redemptions/repurchases of Preferred Stock	(130)				$ 0		(130)						0		0				0				0
Share-based compensation expense, net of forfeitures - Shares					(8,888)
Share-based compensation expense, net of forfeitures	6,251	6,251			$ 2		0		63		6,188		6,249		0	0			0	0			0
Adjustment of Redeemable Common Units to fair value and contributions/distributions from/to the General Partner		(19,395)							(194)		(19,201)					0				0
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership	(15,596)				0		0						0		0				0				(15,596)
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	0	0			0		0		(13)		(1,240)		0		0	0			1,253	1,253			(1,253)
Comprehensive income:
Net income	541,139	541,139			0		0		5,411		535,728		0		0	0			0	0			541,139
Other comprehensive income/(loss)	8,760	8,760			0		0		0		0		0		8,760	8,760			0	0			0
Total comprehensive income	549,899	549,899
Balance at Dec. 31, 2016	$ 2,154,316	$ 2,125,396			$ 1,017		$ 28,920		$ 21,023		$ 2,081,463		$ 2,850,881		$ 4,949	$ 4,949			$ 17,961	$ 17,961			$ (749,412)
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2016	101,665,554				101,665,554