Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Operating activities:
Net income	$ 84,235	$ 47,971	$ 72,303
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	158,327	143,146	136,158
Amortization of lease incentives and acquisition-related intangible assets and liabilities	355	1,446	1,239
Share-based compensation expense	7,613	6,094	6,572
Allowance for losses on accounts and accrued straight-line rents receivable	1,059	2,521	4,009
Amortization of deferred financing costs	3,685	3,312	3,385
Amortization of cash flow hedges	3,053	(118)	237
Impairments of real estate assets	0	2,429	0
Losses on debt extinguishment	973	24	705
Net (gains)/losses on disposition of property	(29,455)	(3,337)	12
(Gains)/losses on for-sale residential condominiums	(444)	316	(276)
Gains on disposition of investments in unconsolidated affiliates	0	(2,282)	(25,330)
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates	(5,035)	(4,878)	(3,821)
Changes in financing obligations	(1,282)	(476)	708
Distributions of earnings from unconsolidated affiliates	4,618	5,029	4,433
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	3,132	(8,498)	(3,290)
Prepaid expenses and other assets	(1,129)	(400)	370
Accrued straight-line rents receivable	(17,919)	(13,604)	(11,889)
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	(18,370)	16,701	5,012
Net cash provided by operating activities	193,416	195,396	190,537
Investing activities:
Investments in acquired real estate and related intangible assets, net of cash acquired	(269,847)	(75,510)	(20,281)
Investments in development in process	(13,288)	(5,835)	(223)
Investments in tenant improvements and deferred leasing costs	(79,639)	(80,934)	(55,858)
Investments in building improvements	(35,799)	(22,287)	(26,355)
Net proceeds from disposition of real estate assets	152,456	17,717	6,801
Net proceeds from disposition of for-sale residential condominiums	5,195	3,020	4,952
Proceeds from disposition of investments in unconsolidated affiliates	0	4,756	15,000
Distributions of capital from unconsolidated affiliates	1,311	1,577	1,933
Investments in mortgage receivable	(8,648)	0	0
Repayments of mortgages and notes receivable	1,776	444	329
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated affiliates	8,291	(39,901)	(2,875)
Changes in restricted cash and other investing activities	(620)	(18,526)	(1,578)
Net cash used in investing activities	(238,812)	(215,479)	(78,155)
Financing activities:
Dividends on Common Stock	(128,652)	(122,745)	(121,643)
Redemptions/repurchases of Preferred Stock	0	(52,515)	0
Dividends on Preferred Stock	(2,508)	(4,553)	(6,708)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership	(6,334)	(6,413)	(6,469)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	(679)	(569)	(568)
Acquisition of noncontrolling interest in consolidated affiliate	0	0	(500)
Proceeds from the issuance of Common Stock	249,489	23,270	2,998
Costs paid for the issuance of Common Stock	(3,600)	0	0
Repurchase of shares related to tax withholdings	(2,721)	0	0
Borrowings on revolving credit facility	524,100	525,800	37,500
Repayments of revolving credit facility	(863,100)	(193,800)	(7,500)
Borrowings on mortgages and notes payable	507,350	200,000	10,368
Repayments of mortgages and notes payable	(219,530)	(344,203)	(27,004)
Borrowings on financing obligations	1,839	0	0
Payments on financing obligations	(1,316)	(1,194)	(1,116)
Payments on debt extinguishment	(908)	0	(577)
Additions to deferred financing costs and other financing activities	(5,439)	(6,013)	(656)
Net cash provided by/(used in) financing activities	47,991	17,065	(121,875)
Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	2,595	(3,018)	(9,493)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period	11,188	14,206	23,699
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period	13,783	11,188	14,206
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Cash paid for interest, net of amounts capitalized	93,547	90,838	86,395
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities:
Unrealized losses on cash flow hedges	(10,358)	(2,202)	0
Conversion of Common Units to Common Stock	2,096	1,906	3,061
Changes in accrued capital expenditures	8,116	11,048	(1,946)
Write-off of fully depreciated real estate assets	48,978	48,565	43,955
Write-off of fully amortized deferred financing and leasing costs	19,176	19,987	15,719
Unrealized gains/(losses) on marketable securities of non-qualified deferred compensation plan	475	(119)	382
Settlement of financing obligation	0	0	4,184
Adjustment of noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership to fair value	16,491	(3,955)	(2,721)
Unrealized gains/(losses) on tax increment financing bond	411	234	(177)
Mortgages receivable from seller financing	0	0	17,030
Assumption of mortgages and notes payable related to acquisition activities	7,837	192,367	40,306
Reduction of advances to unconsolidated affiliates related to acquisition activities	26,000	0	0
Issuances of Common Units to noncontrolling interests to acquire real estate assets	2,299	0	0
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]
Operating activities:
Net income	84,295	48,032	72,276
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	158,327	143,146	136,158
Amortization of lease incentives and acquisition-related intangible assets and liabilities	355	1,446	1,239
Share-based compensation expense	7,613	6,094	6,572
Allowance for losses on accounts and accrued straight-line rents receivable	1,059	2,521	4,009
Amortization of deferred financing costs	3,685	3,312	3,385
Amortization of cash flow hedges	3,053	(118)	237
Impairments of real estate assets	0	2,429	0
Losses on debt extinguishment	973	24	705
Net (gains)/losses on disposition of property	(29,455)	(3,337)	12
(Gains)/losses on for-sale residential condominiums	(444)	316	(276)
Gains on disposition of investments in unconsolidated affiliates	0	(2,282)	(25,330)
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates	(5,095)	(4,939)	(3,794)
Changes in financing obligations	(1,282)	(476)	708
Distributions of earnings from unconsolidated affiliates	4,592	5,005	4,377
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	3,132	(8,498)	(3,290)
Prepaid expenses and other assets	(1,129)	(400)	370
Accrued straight-line rents receivable	(17,919)	(13,604)	(11,889)
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	(18,490)	16,701	5,012
Net cash provided by operating activities	193,270	195,372	190,481
Investing activities:
Investments in acquired real estate and related intangible assets, net of cash acquired	(269,847)	(75,510)	(20,281)
Investments in development in process	(13,288)	(5,835)	(223)
Investments in tenant improvements and deferred leasing costs	(79,639)	(80,934)	(55,858)
Investments in building improvements	(35,799)	(22,287)	(26,355)
Net proceeds from disposition of real estate assets	152,456	17,717	6,801
Net proceeds from disposition of for-sale residential condominiums	5,195	3,020	4,952
Proceeds from disposition of investments in unconsolidated affiliates	0	4,756	15,000
Distributions of capital from unconsolidated affiliates	1,311	1,577	1,933
Investments in mortgage receivable	(8,648)	0	0
Repayments of mortgages and notes receivable	1,776	444	329
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated affiliates	8,291	(39,901)	(2,875)
Changes in restricted cash and other investing activities	(620)	(18,526)	(1,576)
Net cash used in investing activities	(238,812)	(215,479)	(78,153)
Financing activities:
Distributions on Common Units	(134,291)	(128,463)	(127,417)
Redemptions/repurchases of Preferred Units	0	(52,515)	0
Distributions on Preferred Units	(2,508)	(4,553)	(6,708)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	(679)	(569)	(568)
Acquisition of noncontrolling interest in consolidated affiliate	0	0	(500)
Proceeds from the issuance of Common Units	249,489	23,270	2,998
Costs paid for the issuance of Common Units	3,600	0	0
Repurchase of units related to tax withholdings	2,721	0	0
Borrowings on revolving credit facility	524,100	525,800	37,500
Repayments of revolving credit facility	(863,100)	(193,800)	(7,500)
Borrowings on mortgages and notes payable	507,350	200,000	10,368
Repayments of mortgages and notes payable	(219,530)	(344,203)	(27,004)
Borrowings on financing obligations	1,839	0	0
Payments on financing obligations	(1,316)	(1,194)	(1,116)
Payments on debt extinguishment	(908)	0	(577)
Additions to deferred financing costs and other financing activities	(5,867)	(6,713)	(1,125)
Net cash provided by/(used in) financing activities	48,258	17,060	(121,649)
Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	2,716	(3,047)	(9,321)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period	11,151	14,198	23,519
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period	13,867	11,151	14,198
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Cash paid for interest, net of amounts capitalized	93,547	90,838	86,395
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities:
Unrealized losses on cash flow hedges	(10,358)	(2,202)	0
Changes in accrued capital expenditures	8,116	11,048	(1,946)
Write-off of fully depreciated real estate assets	48,978	48,565	43,955
Write-off of fully amortized deferred financing and leasing costs	19,176	19,987	15,719
Unrealized gains/(losses) on marketable securities of non-qualified deferred compensation plan	475	(119)	382
Settlement of financing obligation	0	0	4,184
Adjustment of Redeemable Common Units to fair value	11,915	(10,183)	(2,721)
Unrealized gains/(losses) on tax increment financing bond	411	234	(177)
Mortgages receivable from seller financing	0	0	17,030
Assumption of mortgages and notes payable related to acquisition activities	7,837	192,367	40,306
Reduction of advances to unconsolidated affiliates related to acquisition activities	26,000	0	0
Issuances of Common Units to noncontrolling interests to acquire real estate assets	$ 2,299	$ 0	$ 0