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, 2019			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			9,045
Net proceeds of Common Stock sold during the period	1,788						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
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 Dec. 31, 2019			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)
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2020	103,921,546		103,921,546
Balance at Dec. 31, 2020	$ 2,358,170	2,329,344	$ 1,039	28,826	23,087	2,285,673	2,993,946	(1,462)	(1,462)	22,046	22,046	(686,225)
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			11,293
Net proceeds of Common Stock sold during the period	387						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
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 Dec. 31, 2020	103,921,546		103,921,546
Balance at Dec. 31, 2020	$ 2,358,170	2,329,344	$ 1,039	28,826	23,087	2,285,673	2,993,946	(1,462)	(1,462)	22,046	22,046	(686,225)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Issuances of Common Units, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings		13,405			134	13,271
Distributions on Common Units		(155,445)			(1,554)	(153,891)
Distributions on Preferred Units		(1,864)			(19)	(1,845)
Issuances of Common Stock, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings			277,441
Net proceeds of Common Stock sold during the period	13,405		$ 3				13,402
Conversions of Common Units to Common Stock - Shares			6,238
Conversions of Common Units to Common Stock	278						278
Dividends on Common Stock	(151,898)											(151,898)
Dividends on Preferred Stock	(1,864)											(1,864)
Adjustment of noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership to fair value	(11,072)						(11,072)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	(1,342)	(1,342)								(1,342)	(1,342)
Issuances of restricted stock - shares			184,584
Issuances of restricted stock	0
Redemptions/repurchases of Preferred Stock	(5)			(5)
Share-based compensation expense, net of forfeitures - shares			(6,747)
Share-based compensation expense, net of forfeitures	6,751	6,751	$ 2		68	6,683	6,749
Adjustment of Redeemable Common Units to fair value and contributions/distributions from/to the General Partner		(12,331)			(123)	(12,208)
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership	(5,084)											(5,084)
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	0	0			(15)	(1,454)				1,469	1,469	(1,469)
Comprehensive income:
Net income	194,286	194,286			1,943	192,343						194,286
Other comprehensive income/(loss)	360	360						360	360
Total comprehensive income	$ 194,646	194,646
Balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2021	104,383,062		104,383,062
Balance at Sep. 30, 2021	$ 2,401,985	2,373,164	$ 1,044	28,821	23,521	2,328,572	3,003,303	(1,102)	(1,102)	22,173	22,173	(652,254)
Balance (in shares) at Jun. 30, 2021			104,209,513
Balance at Jun. 30, 2021	2,367,643	2,338,822	$ 1,042	28,821	23,182	2,295,026	2,989,405	(1,225)	(1,225)	21,839	21,839	(672,239)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Issuances of Common Units, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings		7,508			75	7,433
Distributions on Common Units		(53,333)			(533)	(52,800)
Distributions on Preferred Units		(621)			(7)	(614)
Issuances of Common Stock, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings			168,311
Net proceeds of Common Stock sold during the period	7,508		$ 2				7,506
Conversions of Common Units to Common Stock - Shares			5,238
Conversions of Common Units to Common Stock	234						234
Dividends on Common Stock	(52,120)											(52,120)
Dividends on Preferred Stock	(621)											(621)
Adjustment of noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership to fair value	4,262						4,262
Distributions to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	(560)	(560)								(560)	(560)
Share-based compensation expense, net of forfeitures - shares			0
Share-based compensation expense, net of forfeitures	1,896	1,896	$ 0		19	1,877	1,896
Adjustment of Redeemable Common Units to fair value and contributions/distributions from/to the General Partner		3,742			38	3,704
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership	(1,967)											(1,967)
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	0	0			(9)	(885)				894	894	(894)
Comprehensive income:
Net income	75,587	75,587			756	74,831						75,587
Other comprehensive income/(loss)	123	123						123	123
Total comprehensive income	$ 75,710	75,710
Balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2021	104,383,062		104,383,062
Balance at Sep. 30, 2021	$ 2,401,985	$ 2,373,164	$ 1,044	$ 28,821	$ 23,521	$ 2,328,572	$ 3,003,303	$ (1,102)	$ (1,102)	$ 22,173	$ 22,173	$ (652,254)