Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies (Details) $ in Thousands, ft² in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) a ft² property customers shares	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Description of Business [Abstract]
Rentable square feet of commercial real estate (in square feet) | ft²	30.5
Rentable square feet of commercial real estate under development (in square feet) | ft²	1.8
Undeveloped land suitable for future development (in acres) | a	350
Number of common units required to convert to one share of common stock (in shares) | shares	1
Number of trading days preceeding Redemption Notice Date (in days)	10 days
Consolidated in-service office properties not wholly owned (in units) | property	3
Self insurance liability	$ 500
Real estate assets, depreciation expense	$ 191,035	$ 184,385	$ 173,072
Maturity of highly liquid investments (in months)	3 months
Percent of annual REIT taxable income required to pay to the Company's stockholders	90.00%
Customers with leases on wholly owned properties | customers	1,654
Percent of annualized cash rental revenue derived from geographic locations	10.00%
Limit of consolidated revenue generated by any single customer	5.00%
Historical capitalized leasing related costs	$ 2,500
Minimum [Member]
Description of Business [Abstract]
Adjustment interval of variable debt interest rates, mimimum (in months)	1 month
Maximum [Member]
Description of Business [Abstract]
Adjustment interval of variable debt interest rates, mimimum (in months)	3 months
Building [Member]
Description of Business [Abstract]
Property, plant and equipment useful life	40 years
Building Improvements [Member]
Description of Business [Abstract]
Property, plant and equipment useful life	15 years
Furniture and Fixtures [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Description of Business [Abstract]
Property, plant and equipment useful life	5 years
Furniture and Fixtures [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Description of Business [Abstract]
Property, plant and equipment useful life	7 years
Leaseholds and Leasehold Improvements [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Description of Business [Abstract]
Property, plant and equipment useful life	3 years
Leaseholds and Leasehold Improvements [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Description of Business [Abstract]
Property, plant and equipment useful life	10 years
Highwoods Properties, Inc. [Member]
Description of Business [Abstract]
Common Units of partnership owned (in shares) | shares	103,100,000
Percentage of ownership of Common Units	97.40%	97.30%
Common units redeemed for a like number of common shares of stock (in shares) | shares	90,001
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]
Description of Business [Abstract]
Common Units of partnership not owned by the Company (in shares) | shares	2,700,000
Accounting Standards Update 2016-18 [Member]
Description of Business [Abstract]
Net increase/(decrease) in investing activities, effect of adoption, quantification		$ (55,900)	$ 12,400
Accounting Standards Update 2016-02 [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Description of Business [Abstract]
Estimated right of use asset equal to the present value of the minimum lease payments required under each ground lease	$ 31,000
Estimated lease liability equal to the present value of the minimum lease payments required under each ground lease	31,000
Accounting Standards Update 2016-02 [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Description of Business [Abstract]
Estimated right of use asset equal to the present value of the minimum lease payments required under each ground lease	36,000
Estimated lease liability equal to the present value of the minimum lease payments required under each ground lease	$ 36,000