Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Thousands		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Operating activities:
Net income		$ 163,958	$ 323,310	$ 357,914
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization		287,610	259,255	241,585
Amortization of lease incentives and acquisition-related intangible assets and liabilities		(42)	(1,903)	(2,537)
Share-based compensation expense		7,552	8,646	6,210
Net credit losses on operating lease receivables		3,199	425	5,458
Accrued interest on mortgages and notes receivable		(88)	(103)	(118)
Amortization of debt issuance costs		4,324	4,451	3,092
Amortization of cash flow hedges		(238)	508	247
Amortization of mortgages and notes payable fair value adjustments		(70)	862	1,681
Impairments of real estate assets		36,515	0	1,778
Losses on debt extinguishment		0	286	3,674
Net gains on disposition of property		(63,546)	(174,059)	(215,897)
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates		(1,535)	(1,947)	(4,005)
Distributions of earnings from unconsolidated affiliates		614	1,417	1,533
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable		(10,955)	5,744	437
Prepaid expenses and other assets		1,685	1,575	(365)
Accrued straight-line rents receivable		(29,421)	(22,100)	(36,576)
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities		22,217	8,191	(5,951)
Net cash provided by operating activities		421,779	414,558	358,160
Investing activities:
Investments in acquired real estate and related intangible assets, net of cash acquired		(224,934)	(305,291)	(2,363)
Investments in development in-process		(44,352)	(77,854)	(160,612)
Investments in tenant improvements and deferred leasing costs		(120,739)	(93,654)	(137,997)
Investments in building improvements		(76,415)	(48,405)	(62,154)
Investment in acquired controlling interest in unconsolidated affiliate		0	(127,339)	0
Net proceeds from disposition of real estate assets		130,038	374,016	484,311
Distributions of capital from unconsolidated affiliates		0	0	72
Investments in mortgages and notes receivable		(24)	(84)	(32)
Repayments of mortgages and notes receivable		288	301	310
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated affiliates		(261,772)	(6,079)	0
Payments of earnest money deposits		(15,500)	0	0
Changes in other investing activities		(1,389)	(3,289)	(10,853)
Net cash provided by/(used in) investing activities		(614,799)	(287,678)	110,682
Financing activities:
Dividends on Common Stock		(210,183)	(204,182)	(199,331)
Redemptions/repurchases of Preferred Stock		0	(5)	(33)
Redemptions of Common Units		(3,763)	0	0
Dividends on Preferred Stock		(2,486)	(2,486)	(2,488)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership		(4,866)	(5,516)	(5,456)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates		(1,411)	(1,342)	(1,138)
Proceeds from the issuance of Common Stock		7,570	23,917	3,571
Costs paid for the issuance of Common Stock		(247)	(535)	(215)
Repurchase of shares related to tax withholdings		(2,156)	(1,718)	(1,160)
Borrowings on revolving credit facility		675,000	380,000	129,000
Repayments of revolving credit facility		(359,000)	(310,000)	(350,000)
Borrowings on mortgages and notes payable		550,000	200,000	398,364
Repayments of mortgages and notes payable		(456,444)	(353,780)	(251,952)
Payments of debt extinguishment costs		0	0	(3,193)
Payments for debt issuance costs and other financing activities		(4,087)	(9,279)	(10,309)
Net cash provided by/(used in) financing activities		187,927	(284,926)	(294,340)
Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash		(5,093)	(158,046)	174,502
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of the period		31,198	189,244	14,742
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of the period		26,105	31,198	189,244
Reconciliation of cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash:
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period		21,357	23,152	109,322
Restricted cash at end of the period		4,748	8,046	79,922
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Cash paid for interest, net of amounts capitalized		102,501	79,474	72,350
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities:
Unrealized losses on cash flow hedges		0	19	1,238
Conversions of Common Units to Common Stock		1,251	15,076	145
Changes in accrued capital expenditures (1)	[1]	(1,426)	(9,843)	(1,913)
Write-off of fully depreciated real estate assets		58,905	68,307	46,656
Write-off of fully amortized leasing costs		29,083	43,648	25,618
Write-off of fully amortized debt issuance costs		3,292	5,200	1,438
Adjustment of noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership to fair value		(39,502)	11,461	(30,617)
Assumption of mortgages and notes payable related to acquisition activities		0	403,000	0
Issuances of Common Units to acquire real estate assets		0	0	6,163
Initial recognition of lease liabilities related to right of use assets		0	5,310	0
Future consideration in connection with the acquisition of land		0	16,000	0
Accrued capital expenditures included in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities		53,200	56,100	66,000
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]
Operating activities:
Net income		163,958	323,310	357,914
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization		287,610	259,255	241,585
Amortization of lease incentives and acquisition-related intangible assets and liabilities		(42)	(1,903)	(2,537)
Share-based compensation expense		7,552	8,646	6,210
Net credit losses on operating lease receivables		3,199	425	5,458
Accrued interest on mortgages and notes receivable		(88)	(103)	(118)
Amortization of debt issuance costs		4,324	4,451	3,092
Amortization of cash flow hedges		(238)	508	247
Amortization of mortgages and notes payable fair value adjustments		(70)	862	1,681
Impairments of real estate assets		36,515	0	1,778
Losses on debt extinguishment		0	286	3,674
Net gains on disposition of property		(63,546)	(174,059)	(215,897)
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates		(1,535)	(1,947)	(4,005)
Distributions of earnings from unconsolidated affiliates		614	1,417	1,533
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable		(10,955)	5,744	437
Prepaid expenses and other assets		1,685	1,575	(365)
Accrued straight-line rents receivable		(29,421)	(22,100)	(36,576)
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities		22,217	8,191	(5,951)
Net cash provided by operating activities		421,779	414,558	358,160
Investing activities:
Investments in acquired real estate and related intangible assets, net of cash acquired		(224,934)	(305,291)	(2,363)
Investments in development in-process		(44,352)	(77,854)	(160,612)
Investments in tenant improvements and deferred leasing costs		(120,739)	(93,654)	(137,997)
Investments in building improvements		(76,415)	(48,405)	(62,154)
Investment in acquired controlling interest in unconsolidated affiliate		0	(127,339)	0
Net proceeds from disposition of real estate assets		130,038	374,016	484,311
Distributions of capital from unconsolidated affiliates		0	0	72
Investments in mortgages and notes receivable		(24)	(84)	(32)
Repayments of mortgages and notes receivable		288	301	310
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated affiliates		(261,772)	(6,079)	0
Payments of earnest money deposits		(15,500)	0	0
Changes in other investing activities		(1,389)	(3,289)	(10,853)
Net cash provided by/(used in) investing activities		(614,799)	(287,678)	110,682
Financing activities:
Distributions on Common Units		(214,231)	(208,896)	(204,002)
Redemptions/repurchases of Preferred Units		0	(5)	(33)
Redemptions of Common Units		(3,763)	0	0
Distributions on Preferred Units		(2,486)	(2,486)	(2,488)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates		(1,411)	(1,342)	(1,138)
Proceeds from the issuance of Common Units		7,570	23,917	3,571
Costs paid for the issuance of Common Units		(247)	(535)	(215)
Repurchase of units related to tax withholdings		(2,156)	(1,718)	(1,160)
Borrowings on revolving credit facility		675,000	380,000	129,000
Repayments of revolving credit facility		(359,000)	(310,000)	(350,000)
Borrowings on mortgages and notes payable		550,000	200,000	398,364
Repayments of mortgages and notes payable		(456,444)	(353,780)	(251,952)
Payments of debt extinguishment costs		0	0	(3,193)
Payments for debt issuance costs and other financing activities		(4,905)	(10,081)	(11,094)
Net cash provided by/(used in) financing activities		187,927	(284,926)	(294,340)
Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash		(5,093)	(158,046)	174,502
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of the period		31,198	189,244	14,742
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of the period		26,105	31,198	189,244
Reconciliation of cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash:
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period		21,357	23,152	109,322
Restricted cash at end of the period		4,748	8,046	79,922
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Cash paid for interest, net of amounts capitalized		102,501	79,474	72,350
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities:
Unrealized losses on cash flow hedges		0	19	1,238
Changes in accrued capital expenditures (1)	[2]	(1,426)	(9,843)	(1,913)
Write-off of fully depreciated real estate assets		58,905	68,307	46,656
Write-off of fully amortized leasing costs		29,083	43,648	25,618
Write-off of fully amortized debt issuance costs		3,292	5,200	1,438
Assumption of mortgages and notes payable related to acquisition activities		0	403,000	0
Adjustment of Redeemable Common Units to fair value		(45,712)	(810)	(26,880)
Issuances of Common Units to acquire real estate assets		0	0	6,163
Initial recognition of lease liabilities related to right of use assets		0	5,310	0
Future consideration in connection with the acquisition of land		0	16,000	0
Accrued capital expenditures included in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities		$ 53,200	$ 56,100	$ 66,000

[1] Accrued capital expenditures included in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities as of December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020 were $53.2 million, $56.1 million and $66.0 million, respectively.

[2] Accrued capital expenditures included in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities as of December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020 were $53.2 million, $56.1 million and $66.0 million, respectively.