Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Operating activities:
Net income	$ 541,139	$ 101,260	$ 115,972
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	220,140	215,957	196,023
Amortization of lease incentives and acquisition-related intangible assets and liabilities	(1,996)	86	442
Share-based compensation expense	6,251	6,884	6,939
Allowance for losses on accounts and accrued straight-line rents receivable	2,001	2,103	2,182
Accrued interest on mortgages and notes receivable	(502)	(357)	(477)
Amortization of debt issuance costs	3,506	3,645	3,082
Amortization of cash flow hedges	3,057	3,696	3,777
Amortization of mortgages and notes payable fair value adjustments	(234)	(58)	(788)
Impairments of real estate assets	0	0	588
Losses on debt extinguishment	0	243	308
Net gains on disposition of property	(429,303)	(11,444)	(44,736)
Gain on disposition of investment in unconsolidated affiliate	0	(4,155)	0
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates	(5,793)	(5,078)	(1,827)
Changes in financing obligation	0	162	(241)
Distributions of earnings from unconsolidated affiliates	4,424	4,901	2,687
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	3,401	1,415	(3,114)
Prepaid expenses and other assets	(4,423)	1,266	(615)
Accrued straight-line rents receivable	(24,245)	(22,756)	(21,685)
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	(11,618)	(8,891)	8,394
Net cash provided by operating activities	305,805	288,879	266,911
Investing activities:
Investments in acquired real estate and related intangible assets, net of cash acquired	(110,249)	(408,634)	(163,641)
Investments in development in-process	(177,875)	(136,664)	(183,873)
Investments in tenant improvements and deferred leasing costs	(91,423)	(115,503)	(113,747)
Investments in building improvements	(80,672)	(55,881)	(50,033)
Investment in acquired noncontrolling interest in consolidated affiliate	0	0	(4,126)
Net proceeds from disposition of real estate assets	684,371	26,748	172,442
Net proceeds from disposition of investment in unconsolidated affiliate	0	6,919	0
Distributions of capital from unconsolidated affiliates	2,766	10,401	3,806
Investments in mortgages and notes receivable	(7,934)	(1,772)	(864)
Repayments of mortgages and notes receivable	1,699	9,381	17,239
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated affiliates	(105)	(659)	(6,489)
Repayments from unconsolidated affiliates	448	20,800	0
Redemption of investment In unconsolidated affiliate	0	0	4,660
Changes in restricted cash and other investing activities	(17,136)	(9,293)	(3,552)
Net cash provided by/(used in) investing activities	203,890	(654,157)	(328,178)
Financing activities:
Dividends on Common Stock	(166,861)	(160,337)	(154,165)
Redemptions/repurchases of Preferred Stock	(130)	(10)	(17)
Redemptions of Common Units	0	0	(93)
Dividends on Preferred Stock	(2,501)	(2,506)	(2,507)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership	(4,888)	(4,959)	(4,994)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	(1,267)	(1,398)	(1,140)
Proceeds from the issuance of Common Stock	264,769	131,341	117,716
Costs paid for the issuance of Common Stock	(3,973)	(2,040)	(1,586)
Repurchase of shares related to tax withholdings	(4,416)	(3,764)	(3,506)
Borrowings on revolving credit facility	287,600	476,300	506,900
Repayments of revolving credit facility	(586,600)	(386,300)	(513,600)
Borrowings on mortgages and notes payable	150,000	475,000	296,949
Repayments of mortgages and notes payable	(395,993)	(156,120)	(174,302)
Payments on financing obligation	0	(1,722)	(2,904)
Payments of debt extinguishment costs	0	0	(369)
Changes in debt issuance costs and other financing activities	(981)	(2,003)	(2,467)
Net cash provided by/(used in) financing activities	(465,241)	361,482	59,915
Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	44,454	(3,796)	(1,352)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period	5,036	8,832	10,184
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period	49,490	5,036	8,832
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Cash paid for interest, net of amounts capitalized	72,847	82,242	83,086
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities:
Unrealized gains/(losses) on cash flow hedges	5,703	(4,040)	(5,662)
Conversions of Common Units to Common Stock	3,057	1,645	162
Changes in accrued capital expenditures	8,580	2,547	5,283
Write-off of fully depreciated real estate assets	39,262	48,698	42,633
Write-off of fully amortized debt issuance and leasing costs	26,533	38,264	25,286
Adjustment of noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership to fair value	12,993	67	25,275
Unrealized gains on tax increment financing bond	0	445	584
Assumption of mortgages and notes payable related to acquisition activities	0	19,277	0
Contingent consideration in connection with the acquisition of land	0	900	3,300
Special dividend on Common Stock declared	(81,205)	0	0
Special distribution to noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership declared	(2,271)	0	0
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]
Operating activities:
Net income	541,139	101,260	115,972
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	220,140	215,957	196,023
Amortization of lease incentives and acquisition-related intangible assets and liabilities	(1,996)	86	442
Share-based compensation expense	6,251	6,884	6,939
Allowance for losses on accounts and accrued straight-line rents receivable	2,001	2,103	2,182
Accrued interest on mortgages and notes receivable	(502)	(357)	(477)
Amortization of debt issuance costs	3,506	3,645	3,082
Amortization of cash flow hedges	3,057	3,696	3,777
Amortization of mortgages and notes payable fair value adjustments	(234)	(58)	(788)
Impairments of real estate assets	0	0	588
Losses on debt extinguishment	0	243	308
Net gains on disposition of property	(429,303)	(11,444)	(44,736)
Gain on disposition of investment in unconsolidated affiliate	0	(4,155)	0
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates	(5,793)	(5,078)	(1,827)
Changes in financing obligation	0	162	(241)
Distributions of earnings from unconsolidated affiliates	4,011	4,901	2,687
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	3,401	1,415	(3,114)
Prepaid expenses and other assets	(4,423)	1,266	(615)
Accrued straight-line rents receivable	(24,245)	(22,756)	(21,685)
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	(11,618)	(8,805)	8,383
Net cash provided by operating activities	305,392	288,965	266,900
Investing activities:
Investments in acquired real estate and related intangible assets, net of cash acquired	(110,249)	(408,634)	(163,641)
Investments in development in-process	(177,875)	(136,664)	(183,873)
Investments in tenant improvements and deferred leasing costs	(91,423)	(115,503)	(113,747)
Investments in building improvements	(80,672)	(55,881)	(50,033)
Investment in acquired noncontrolling interest in consolidated affiliate	0	0	(4,126)
Net proceeds from disposition of real estate assets	684,371	26,748	172,442
Net proceeds from disposition of investment in unconsolidated affiliate	0	6,919	0
Distributions of capital from unconsolidated affiliates	3,179	10,401	3,806
Investments in mortgages and notes receivable	(7,934)	(1,772)	(864)
Repayments of mortgages and notes receivable	1,699	9,381	17,239
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated affiliates	(105)	(659)	(6,489)
Repayments from unconsolidated affiliates	448	20,800	0
Redemption of investment In unconsolidated affiliate	0	0	4,660
Changes in restricted cash and other investing activities	(17,136)	(9,293)	(3,552)
Net cash provided by/(used in) investing activities	204,303	(654,157)	(328,178)
Financing activities:
Distributions on Common Units	(171,054)	(164,601)	(158,464)
Redemptions/repurchases of Preferred Units	(130)	(10)	(17)
Redemptions of Common Units	0	0	(93)
Distributions on Preferred Units	(2,501)	(2,506)	(2,507)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	(1,267)	(1,398)	(1,140)
Proceeds from the issuance of Common Units	264,769	131,341	117,716
Costs paid for the issuance of Common Units	(3,973)	(2,040)	(1,586)
Repurchase of units related to tax withholdings	(4,416)	(3,764)	(3,506)
Borrowings on revolving credit facility	287,600	476,300	506,900
Repayments of revolving credit facility	(586,600)	(386,300)	(513,600)
Borrowings on mortgages and notes payable	150,000	475,000	296,949
Repayments of mortgages and notes payable	(395,993)	(156,120)	(174,302)
Payments on financing obligation	0	(1,722)	(2,904)
Payments of debt extinguishment costs	0	0	(369)
Changes in debt issuance costs and other financing activities	(1,676)	(2,890)	(3,142)
Net cash provided by/(used in) financing activities	(465,241)	361,290	59,935
Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	44,454	(3,902)	(1,343)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period	5,036	8,938	10,281
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period	49,490	5,036	8,938
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Cash paid for interest, net of amounts capitalized	72,847	82,242	83,086
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities:
Unrealized gains/(losses) on cash flow hedges	5,703	(4,040)	(5,662)
Changes in accrued capital expenditures	8,580	2,547	5,283
Write-off of fully depreciated real estate assets	39,262	48,698	42,633
Write-off of fully amortized debt issuance and leasing costs	26,533	38,264	25,286
Adjustment of Redeemable Common Units to fair value	18,373	(3,619)	23,568
Unrealized gains on tax increment financing bond	0	445	584
Assumption of mortgages and notes payable related to acquisition activities	0	19,277	0
Contingent consideration in connection with the acquisition of land	0	900	3,300
Special distribution on Common Units declared	$ (83,149)	$ 0	$ 0