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, 2018			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 consolidate 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
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
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 Dec. 31, 2019	103,756,046		103,756,046
Balance at Dec. 31, 2019	$ 2,174,407	2,145,548	$ 1,038	28,859	21,240	2,102,769	2,954,779	(471)	(471)	22,010	22,010	(831,808)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Issuances of Common Units, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings		7,951			80	7,871
Distributions on Common Units		(152,965)			(1,530)	(151,435)
Distributions on Preferred Units		(1,866)			(19)	(1,847)
Issuances of Common Stock, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings - Shares			9,045
Issuances of Common Stock, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings	1,788		$ 0				1,788
Conversions of Common Units to Common Stock	0
Dividends on Common Stock	(149,462)											(149,462)
Dividends on Preferred Stock	(1,866)											(1,866)
Adjustment of noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership to fair value	46,955						46,955
Distributions to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	(1,124)	(1,124)								(1,124)	(1,124)
Issuances of restricted stock - shares			149,304
Issuances of restricted stock	0
Redemptions/repurchases of Preferred Stock	(33)			(33)
Share-based compensation expense, net of forfeitures - shares			(6,166)
Share-based compensation expense, net of forfeitures	4,980	4,980	$ 1		50	4,930	4,979
Adjustment of Redeemable Common Units to fair value and contributions/distributions from/to the General Partner		37,211			372	36,839
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership	(7,084)											(7,084)
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	0	0			(9)	(863)				872	872	(872)
Comprehensive income:
Net income	272,627	272,627			2,726	269,901						272,627
Other comprehensive income/(loss)	(1,106)	(1,106)						(1,106)	(1,106)
Total comprehensive income	$ 271,521	271,521
Balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2020	103,908,229		103,908,229
Balance at Sep. 30, 2020	$ 2,340,082	2,311,256	$ 1,039	28,826	22,910	2,268,165	3,008,501	(1,577)	(1,577)	21,758	21,758	(718,465)
Balance (in shares) at Jun. 30, 2020			103,896,936
Balance at Jun. 30, 2020	2,337,472	2,308,629	$ 1,039	28,843	22,886	2,265,692	2,996,442	(1,704)	(1,704)	21,755	21,755	(708,903)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Issuances of Common Units, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings		387			4	383
Distributions on Common Units		(51,034)			(511)	(50,523)
Distributions on Preferred Units		(622)			(7)	(615)
Issuances of Common Stock, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings - Shares			11,293
Issuances of Common Stock, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings	387		$ 0				387
Dividends on Common Stock	(49,866)											(49,866)
Dividends on Preferred Stock	(622)											(622)
Adjustment of noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership to fair value	10,430						10,430
Distributions to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	(295)	(295)								(295)	(295)
Redemptions/repurchases of Preferred Stock	(17)			(17)
Share-based compensation expense, net of forfeitures - shares			0
Share-based compensation expense, net of forfeitures	1,242	1,242	$ 0		13	1,229	1,242
Adjustment of Redeemable Common Units to fair value and contributions/distributions from/to the General Partner		10,491			105	10,386
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership	(1,107)											(1,107)
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	0	0			(3)	(295)				298	298	(298)
Comprehensive income:
Net income	42,331	42,331			423	41,908						42,331
Other comprehensive income/(loss)	127	127						127	127
Total comprehensive income	$ 42,458	42,458
Balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2020	103,908,229		103,908,229
Balance at Sep. 30, 2020	$ 2,340,082	$ 2,311,256	$ 1,039	$ 28,826	$ 22,910	$ 2,268,165	$ 3,008,501	$ (1,577)	$ (1,577)	$ 21,758	$ 21,758	$ (718,465)