Consolidated Statements of Equity/Capital - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]	Common Stock [Member]	Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Shares [Member]	General Partners' Common Units [Member] Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]	Limited Partners' Common Units [Member] Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member] Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]	Noncontrolling Interests in Consolidated Affiliates [Member]	Noncontrolling Interests in Consolidated Affiliates [Member] Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]	Distributions in Excess of Net Income Available for Common Stockholders [Member]
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2017			103,266,875
Balance at Dec. 31, 2017	$ 2,237,234	$ 2,208,342	$ 1,033	$ 28,892	$ 21,830	$ 2,161,258	$ 2,929,399	$ 7,838	$ 7,838	$ 17,416	$ 17,416	$ (747,344)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Issuances of Common Units, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings		1,476			15	1,461
Distributions on Common Units		(146,763)			(1,467)	(145,296)
Distributions on Preferred Units		(1,869)			(19)	(1,850)
Issuances of Common Stock, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings - Shares			22,815
Issuances of Common Stock, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings	1,476		$ 0				1,476
Conversions of Common Units to Common Stock - Shares			26,196
Conversions of Common Units to Common Stock	1,231						1,231
Dividends on Common Stock	(143,435)											(143,435)
Dividends on Preferred Stock	(1,869)											(1,869)
Adjustment of noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership to fair value	9,607						9,607
Distributions to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	(950)	(950)								(950)	(950)
Issuances of restricted stock - shares			172,440
Issuances of restricted stock	0
Redemptions/repurchases of Preferred Stock	(5)			(5)
Share-based compensation expense, net of forfeitures	6,609	6,609	$ 2		66	6,543	6,607
Adjustment of Redeemable Common Units to fair value and contributions/distributions from/to the General Partner		10,995			110	10,885
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership	(3,171)											(3,171)
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	0	0			(9)	(909)				918	918	(918)
Comprehensive income:
Net income	122,253	122,253			1,223	121,030						122,253
Other comprehensive income/(loss)	9,651	9,651						9,651	9,651
Total comprehensive income	131,904	131,904
Balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2018			103,488,326
Balance at Sep. 30, 2018	2,238,631	2,209,744	$ 1,035	28,887	21,749	2,153,122	2,948,320	17,489	17,489	17,384	17,384	(774,484)
Balance (in shares) at Jun. 30, 2018			103,459,115
Balance at Jun. 30, 2018	2,240,193	2,211,306	$ 1,035	28,887	21,778	2,156,105	2,936,636	15,956	15,956	17,467	17,467	(759,788)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Issuances of Common Units, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings		1,061			11	1,050
Distributions on Common Units		(48,963)			(489)	(48,474)
Distributions on Preferred Units		(623)			(7)	(616)
Issuances of Common Stock, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings - Shares			26,211
Issuances of Common Stock, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings	1,061		$ 0				1,061
Conversions of Common Units to Common Stock - Shares			3,000
Conversions of Common Units to Common Stock	147						147
Dividends on Common Stock	(47,856)											(47,856)
Dividends on Preferred Stock	(623)											(623)
Adjustment of noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership to fair value	9,335						9,335
Distributions to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	(407)	(407)								(407)	(407)
Share-based compensation expense, net of forfeitures	1,141	1,141	$ 0		11	1,130	1,141
Adjustment of Redeemable Common Units to fair value and contributions/distributions from/to the General Partner		9,687			97	9,590
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership	(902)											(902)
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	0	0			(3)	(321)				324	324	(324)
Comprehensive income:
Net income	35,009	35,009			351	34,658						35,009
Other comprehensive income/(loss)	1,533	1,533						1,533	1,533
Total comprehensive income	36,542	36,542
Balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2018			103,488,326
Balance at Sep. 30, 2018	$ 2,238,631	2,209,744	$ 1,035	28,887	21,749	2,153,122	2,948,320	17,489	17,489	17,384	17,384	(774,484)
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2018	103,557,065		103,557,065
Balance at Dec. 31, 2018	$ 2,264,296	2,235,419	$ 1,036	28,877	22,078	2,185,852	2,976,197	9,913	9,913	17,576	17,576	(769,303)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Issuances of Common Units, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings		(243)			(2)	(241)
Distributions on Common Units		(150,973)			(1,510)	(149,463)
Distributions on Preferred Units		(1,866)			(19)	(1,847)
Issuances of Common Stock, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings - Shares			(11,715)
Issuances of Common Stock, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings	(243)		$ 0				(243)
Conversions of Common Units to Common Stock - Shares			13,000
Conversions of Common Units to Common Stock	572						572
Dividends on Common Stock	(147,662)											(147,662)
Dividends on Preferred Stock	(1,866)											(1,866)
Adjustment of noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership to fair value	(19,025)						(19,025)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	(1,227)	(1,227)								(1,227)	(1,227)
Contributions from noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	4,987	4,987								4,987	4,987
Issuances of restricted stock - shares			190,934
Issuances of restricted stock	0
Redemptions/repurchases of Preferred Stock	(18)			(18)
Share-based compensation expense, net of forfeitures - shares			(947)
Share-based compensation expense, net of forfeitures	6,180	6,180	$ 1		62	6,118	6,179
Adjustment of Redeemable Common Units to fair value and contributions/distributions from/to the General Partner		(17,116)			(172)	(16,944)
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership	(1,974)											(1,974)
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	0	0			(9)	(910)				919	919	(919)
Comprehensive income:
Net income	79,337	79,337			793	78,544						79,337
Other comprehensive income/(loss)	(10,440)	(10,440)						(10,440)	(10,440)
Total comprehensive income	$ 68,897	68,897
Balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2019	103,748,337		103,748,337
Balance at Sep. 30, 2019	$ 2,172,917	2,144,058	$ 1,037	28,859	21,221	2,101,109	2,963,680	(527)	(527)	22,255	22,255	(842,387)
Balance (in shares) at Jun. 30, 2019			103,704,603
Balance at Jun. 30, 2019	2,210,532	2,181,673	$ 1,037	28,859	21,528	2,131,256	2,972,798	6,488	6,488	22,401	22,401	(821,051)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Issuances of Common Units, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings		488			5	483
Distributions on Common Units		(50,339)			(504)	(49,835)
Distributions on Preferred Units		(622)			(7)	(615)
Issuances of Common Stock, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings - Shares			11,990
Issuances of Common Stock, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings	488		$ 0				488
Conversions of Common Units to Common Stock - Shares			5,000
Conversions of Common Units to Common Stock	219						219
Dividends on Common Stock	(49,237)											(49,237)
Dividends on Preferred Stock	(622)											(622)
Adjustment of noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership to fair value	(10,493)						(10,493)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	(443)	(443)								(443)	(443)
Issuances of restricted stock - shares			26,744
Issuances of restricted stock	0
Share-based compensation expense, net of forfeitures - shares			0
Share-based compensation expense, net of forfeitures	668	668	$ 0		7	661	668
Adjustment of Redeemable Common Units to fair value and contributions/distributions from/to the General Partner		(9,909)			(100)	(9,809)
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership	(737)											(737)
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	0	0			(3)	(294)				297	297	(297)
Comprehensive income:
Net income	29,557	29,557			295	29,262						29,557
Other comprehensive income/(loss)	(7,015)	(7,015)						(7,015)	(7,015)
Total comprehensive income	$ 22,542	22,542
Balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2019	103,748,337		103,748,337
Balance at Sep. 30, 2019	$ 2,172,917	$ 2,144,058	$ 1,037	$ 28,859	$ 21,221	$ 2,101,109	$ 2,963,680	$ (527)	$ (527)	$ 22,255	$ 22,255	$ (842,387)