Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Operating activities:
Net income	$ 191,663	$ 541,139	$ 101,260
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	227,832	220,140	215,957
Amortization of lease incentives and acquisition-related intangible assets and liabilities	(1,172)	(1,996)	86
Share-based compensation expense	6,692	6,251	6,884
Allowance for losses on accounts and accrued straight-line rents receivable	1,508	2,001	2,103
Accrued interest on mortgages and notes receivable	(509)	(502)	(357)
Amortization of debt issuance costs	3,166	3,506	3,645
Amortization of cash flow hedges	1,157	3,057	3,696
Amortization of mortgages and notes payable fair value adjustments	705	(234)	(58)
Impairments of real estate assets	1,445	0	0
Losses on debt extinguishment	26	0	243
Net gains on disposition of property	(54,157)	(429,303)	(11,444)
Gain on disposition of investment in unconsolidated affiliate	0	0	(4,155)
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates	(7,404)	(5,793)	(5,078)
Changes in financing obligation	0	0	162
Distributions of earnings from unconsolidated affiliates	5,078	4,424	4,901
Settlement of cash flow hedges	7,322	0	0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	(4,974)	3,401	1,415
Prepaid expenses and other assets	7,908	(4,423)	1,266
Accrued straight-line rents receivable	(32,234)	(24,245)	(22,756)
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	(1,520)	(11,618)	(8,891)
Net cash provided by operating activities	352,532	305,805	288,879
Investing activities:
Investments in acquired real estate and related intangible assets, net of cash acquired	(1,840)	(110,249)	(408,634)
Investments in development in-process	(150,944)	(177,875)	(136,664)
Investments in tenant improvements and deferred leasing costs	(109,742)	(91,423)	(115,503)
Investments in building improvements	(63,780)	(80,672)	(55,881)
Net proceeds from disposition of real estate assets	129,503	684,371	26,748
Net proceeds from disposition of investment in unconsolidated affiliate	0	0	6,919
Distributions of capital from unconsolidated affiliates	11,670	2,766	10,401
Investments in mortgages and notes receivable	0	(7,934)	(1,772)
Repayments of mortgages and notes receivable	2,917	1,699	9,381
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated affiliates	(10,063)	(105)	(659)
Repayments from unconsolidated affiliates	0	448	20,800
Changes in restricted cash and other investing activities	(63,943)	(17,136)	(9,293)
Net cash provided by/(used in) investing activities	(256,222)	203,890	(654,157)
Financing activities:
Dividends on Common Stock	(180,805)	(166,861)	(160,337)
Special dividend on Common Stock	(81,205)	0	0
Redemptions/repurchases of Preferred Stock	(28)	(130)	(10)
Dividends on Preferred Stock	(2,492)	(2,501)	(2,506)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership	(4,987)	(4,888)	(4,959)
Special distribution to noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership	(2,271)	0	0
Distributions to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	(1,784)	(1,267)	(1,398)
Proceeds from the issuance of Common Stock	76,268	264,769	131,341
Costs paid for the issuance of Common Stock	(1,283)	(3,973)	(2,040)
Repurchase of shares related to tax withholdings	(4,008)	(4,416)	(3,764)
Borrowings on revolving credit facility	780,300	287,600	476,300
Repayments of revolving credit facility	(535,300)	(586,600)	(386,300)
Borrowings on mortgages and notes payable	656,001	150,000	475,000
Repayments of mortgages and notes payable	(832,553)	(395,993)	(156,120)
Payments on financing obligation	0	0	(1,722)
Payments of debt extinguishment costs	(57)	0	0
Changes in debt issuance costs and other financing activities	(8,324)	(981)	(2,003)
Net cash provided by/(used in) financing activities	(142,528)	(465,241)	361,482
Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(46,218)	44,454	(3,796)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period	49,490	5,036	8,832
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period	3,272	49,490	5,036
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Cash paid for interest, net of amounts capitalized	68,207	72,847	82,242
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities:
Unrealized gains/(losses) on cash flow hedges	1,732	5,703	(4,040)
Conversions of Common Units to Common Stock	511	3,057	1,645
Changes in accrued capital expenditures	(1,912)	8,580	2,547
Write-off of fully depreciated real estate assets	59,108	39,262	48,698
Write-off of fully amortized deferred leasing costs	40,517	25,569	37,176
Write-off of fully amortized debt issuance costs	11,724	964	1,088
Adjustment of noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership to fair value	(354)	12,993	67
Unrealized gains on tax increment financing bond	0	0	445
Assumption of mortgages and notes payable related to acquisition activities	0	0	19,277
Contingent consideration in connection with the acquisition of land	750	0	900
Special dividend on Common Stock declared	0	(81,205)	0
Special distribution to noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership declared	0	(2,271)	0
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]
Operating activities:
Net income	191,663	541,139	101,260
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	227,832	220,140	215,957
Amortization of lease incentives and acquisition-related intangible assets and liabilities	(1,172)	(1,996)	86
Share-based compensation expense	6,692	6,251	6,884
Allowance for losses on accounts and accrued straight-line rents receivable	1,508	2,001	2,103
Accrued interest on mortgages and notes receivable	(509)	(502)	(357)
Amortization of debt issuance costs	3,166	3,506	3,645
Amortization of cash flow hedges	1,157	3,057	3,696
Amortization of mortgages and notes payable fair value adjustments	705	(234)	(58)
Impairments of real estate assets	1,445	0	0
Losses on debt extinguishment	26	0	243
Net gains on disposition of property	(54,157)	(429,303)	(11,444)
Gain on disposition of investment in unconsolidated affiliate	0	0	(4,155)
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates	(7,404)	(5,793)	(5,078)
Changes in financing obligation	0	0	162
Distributions of earnings from unconsolidated affiliates	5,078	4,011	4,901
Settlement of cash flow hedges	7,322	0	0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	(4,974)	3,401	1,415
Prepaid expenses and other assets	7,908	(4,423)	1,266
Accrued straight-line rents receivable	(32,234)	(24,245)	(22,756)
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	(1,520)	(11,618)	(8,805)
Net cash provided by operating activities	352,532	305,392	288,965
Investing activities:
Investments in acquired real estate and related intangible assets, net of cash acquired	(1,840)	(110,249)	(408,634)
Investments in development in-process	(150,944)	(177,875)	(136,664)
Investments in tenant improvements and deferred leasing costs	(109,742)	(91,423)	(115,503)
Investments in building improvements	(63,780)	(80,672)	(55,881)
Net proceeds from disposition of real estate assets	129,503	684,371	26,748
Net proceeds from disposition of investment in unconsolidated affiliate	0	0	6,919
Distributions of capital from unconsolidated affiliates	11,670	3,179	10,401
Investments in mortgages and notes receivable	0	(7,934)	(1,772)
Repayments of mortgages and notes receivable	2,917	1,699	9,381
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated affiliates	(10,063)	(105)	(659)
Repayments from unconsolidated affiliates	0	448	20,800
Changes in restricted cash and other investing activities	(63,943)	(17,136)	(9,293)
Net cash provided by/(used in) investing activities	(256,222)	204,303	(654,157)
Financing activities:
Distributions on Common Units	(185,072)	(171,054)	(164,601)
Special distribution on Common Units	(83,149)	0	0
Redemptions/repurchases of Preferred Units	(28)	(130)	(10)
Distributions on Preferred Units	(2,492)	(2,501)	(2,506)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	(1,784)	(1,267)	(1,398)
Proceeds from the issuance of Common Units	76,268	264,769	131,341
Costs paid for the issuance of Common Units	(1,283)	(3,973)	(2,040)
Repurchase of units related to tax withholdings	(4,008)	(4,416)	(3,764)
Borrowings on revolving credit facility	780,300	287,600	476,300
Repayments of revolving credit facility	(535,300)	(586,600)	(386,300)
Borrowings on mortgages and notes payable	656,001	150,000	475,000
Repayments of mortgages and notes payable	(832,553)	(395,993)	(156,120)
Payments on financing obligation	0	0	(1,722)
Payments of debt extinguishment costs	(57)	0	0
Changes in debt issuance costs and other financing activities	(9,371)	(1,676)	(2,890)
Net cash provided by/(used in) financing activities	(142,528)	(465,241)	361,290
Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(46,218)	44,454	(3,902)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period	49,490	5,036	8,938
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period	3,272	49,490	5,036
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Cash paid for interest, net of amounts capitalized	68,207	72,847	82,242
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities:
Unrealized gains/(losses) on cash flow hedges	1,732	5,703	(4,040)
Changes in accrued capital expenditures	(1,912)	8,580	2,547
Write-off of fully depreciated real estate assets	59,108	39,262	48,698
Write-off of fully amortized deferred leasing costs	40,517	25,569	37,176
Write-off of fully amortized debt issuance costs	11,724	964	1,088
Adjustment of Redeemable Common Units to fair value	(793)	18,373	(3,619)
Unrealized gains on tax increment financing bond	0	0	445
Assumption of mortgages and notes payable related to acquisition activities	0	0	19,277
Contingent consideration in connection with the acquisition of land	750	0	900
Special distribution on Common Units declared	$ 0	$ (83,149)	$ 0