Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Operating activities:
Net income	$ 115,972	$ 131,097	$ 84,235
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	196,023	182,710	158,327
Amortization of lease incentives and acquisition-related intangible assets and liabilities	442	345	355
Share-based compensation expense	6,939	6,899	7,613
Allowance for losses on accounts and accrued straight-line rents receivable	2,182	1,516	1,059
Accrued interest on mortgages and notes receivable	(477)	(485)	0
Amortization of deferred financing costs	3,082	3,802	3,685
Amortization of cash flow hedges	3,777	3,370	3,053
Amortization of mortgages and notes payable fair value adjustments	(788)	(1,825)	0
Impairments of real estate assets	588	2,194	0
Losses on debt extinguishment	308	199	973
Net gains on disposition of property	(44,736)	(63,789)	(29,455)
Gains on for-sale residential condominiums	0	0	(444)
Gain on acquisition of controlling interest in unconsolidated affiliate	0	(7,451)	0
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates	(1,827)	(2,264)	(5,035)
Changes in financing obligations	(241)	(753)	(1,282)
Distributions of earnings from unconsolidated affiliates	2,687	3,985	4,618
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	(3,114)	(920)	3,132
Prepaid expenses and other assets	(615)	684	(1,129)
Accrued straight-line rents receivable	(21,685)	(18,253)	(17,919)
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	8,394	15,376	(18,370)
Net cash provided by operating activities	266,911	256,437	193,416
Investing activities:
Investments in acquired real estate and related intangible assets, net of cash acquired	(163,641)	(418,796)	(269,847)
Investments in development in process	(183,873)	(34,474)	(13,288)
Investments in tenant improvements and deferred leasing costs	(113,747)	(103,243)	(79,639)
Investments in building improvements	(50,033)	(53,189)	(35,799)
Investment in acquired noncontrolling interest in consolidated affiliate	(4,126)	0	0
Investment in acquired controlling interest in unconsolidated affiliate	0	(32,818)	0
Net proceeds from disposition of real estate assets	172,442	254,022	152,456
Net proceeds from disposition of for-sale residential condominiums	0	0	5,195
Distributions of capital from unconsolidated affiliates	3,806	27,486	1,311
Investments in mortgages and notes receivable	(864)	(902)	(8,648)
Repayments of mortgages and notes receivable	17,239	405	1,776
Investments in and advances/repayments to/from unconsolidated affiliates	(6,489)	(429)	8,291
Redemption of investment In unconsolidated affiliate	4,660	0	0
Changes in restricted cash and other investing activities	(3,552)	5,335	(620)
Net cash (used in) investing activities	(328,178)	(356,603)	(238,812)
Financing activities:
Dividends on Common Stock	(154,165)	(145,964)	(128,652)
Redemptions/repurchases of Preferred Stock	(17)	0	0
Redemptions of Common Units	(93)	0	0
Dividends on Preferred Stock	(2,507)	(2,508)	(2,508)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership	(4,994)	(5,667)	(6,334)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	(1,140)	(546)	(679)
Proceeds from the issuance of Common Stock	117,716	316,081	249,489
Costs paid for the issuance of Common Stock	(1,586)	(7,678)	(3,600)
Repurchase of shares related to tax withholdings	(3,506)	(2,557)	(2,721)
Borrowings on revolving credit facility	506,900	837,000	524,100
Repayments of revolving credit facility	(513,600)	(644,300)	(863,100)
Borrowings on mortgages and notes payable	296,949	0	507,350
Repayments of mortgages and notes payable	(174,302)	(259,202)	(219,530)
Borrowings on financing obligations	0	0	1,839
Payments on financing obligations	(2,904)	(1,941)	(1,316)
Payments of debt extinguishment costs	(369)	0	(908)
Contributions from noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	0	16,240	0
Additions to deferred financing costs and other financing activities	(2,467)	(2,391)	(5,439)
Net cash provided by financing activities	59,915	96,567	47,991
Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(1,352)	(3,599)	2,595
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period	10,184	13,783	11,188
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period	8,832	10,184	13,783
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Cash paid for interest, net of amounts capitalized	83,086	85,919	93,547
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities:
Unrealized gains/(losses) on cash flow hedges	(5,662)	5,778	(10,358)
Conversions of Common Units to Common Stock	162	28,788	2,096
Changes in accrued capital expenditures	5,283	18,384	8,116
Write-off of fully depreciated real estate assets	42,633	31,008	48,978
Write-off of fully amortized deferred financing and leasing costs	25,286	27,347	19,176
Unrealized gains on marketable securities of non-qualified deferred compensation plan	235	803	475
Adjustment of noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership to fair value	25,275	11,375	16,491
Unrealized gains on tax increment financing bond	584	869	411
Assumption of mortgages and notes payable related to acquisition activities	0	165,515	7,837
Reduction of advances to unconsolidated affiliates related to acquisition activities	0	0	26,000
Issuances of Common Units to acquire real estate assets	0	0	2,299
Reclass of aggregate differences between historical cost basis and the basis reflected at the joint venture level for assets acquired	0	8,206	0
Contingent consideration in connection with the acquisition of land	3,300	0	0
Option deposit applied upon acquisition of real estate assets	0	5,000	0
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]
Operating activities:
Net income	115,972	131,046	84,295
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	196,023	182,710	158,327
Amortization of lease incentives and acquisition-related intangible assets and liabilities	442	345	355
Share-based compensation expense	6,939	6,899	7,613
Allowance for losses on accounts and accrued straight-line rents receivable	2,182	1,516	1,059
Accrued interest on mortgages and notes receivable	(477)	(485)	0
Amortization of deferred financing costs	3,082	3,802	3,685
Amortization of cash flow hedges	3,777	3,370	3,053
Amortization of mortgages and notes payable fair value adjustments	(788)	(1,825)	0
Impairments of real estate assets	588	2,194	0
Losses on debt extinguishment	308	199	973
Net gains on disposition of property	(44,736)	(63,789)	(29,455)
Gains on for-sale residential condominiums	0	0	(444)
Gain on acquisition of controlling interest in unconsolidated affiliate	0	(7,451)	0
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates	(1,827)	(2,213)	(5,095)
Changes in financing obligations	(241)	(753)	(1,282)
Distributions of earnings from unconsolidated affiliates	2,687	3,965	4,592
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	(3,114)	(920)	3,132
Prepaid expenses and other assets	(615)	684	(1,129)
Accrued straight-line rents receivable	(21,685)	(18,253)	(17,919)
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	8,383	15,421	(18,490)
Net cash provided by operating activities	266,900	256,462	193,270
Investing activities:
Investments in acquired real estate and related intangible assets, net of cash acquired	(163,641)	(418,796)	(269,847)
Investments in development in process	(183,873)	(34,474)	(13,288)
Investments in tenant improvements and deferred leasing costs	(113,747)	(103,243)	(79,639)
Investments in building improvements	(50,033)	(53,189)	(35,799)
Investment in acquired noncontrolling interest in consolidated affiliate	(4,126)	0	0
Investment in acquired controlling interest in unconsolidated affiliate	0	(32,818)	0
Net proceeds from disposition of real estate assets	172,442	254,022	152,456
Net proceeds from disposition of for-sale residential condominiums	0	0	5,195
Distributions of capital from unconsolidated affiliates	3,806	27,486	1,311
Investments in mortgages and notes receivable	(864)	(902)	(8,648)
Repayments of mortgages and notes receivable	17,239	405	1,776
Investments in and advances/repayments to/from unconsolidated affiliates	(6,489)	(429)	8,291
Redemption of investment In unconsolidated affiliate	4,660	0	0
Changes in restricted cash and other investing activities	(3,552)	5,335	(620)
Net cash (used in) investing activities	(328,178)	(356,603)	(238,812)
Financing activities:
Distributions on Common Units	(158,464)	(150,936)	(134,291)
Redemptions/repurchases of Preferred Units	(17)	0	0
Redemptions of Common Units	(93)	0	0
Distributions on Preferred Units	(2,507)	(2,508)	(2,508)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	(1,140)	(546)	(679)
Proceeds from the issuance of Common Units	117,716	316,081	249,489
Costs paid for the issuance of Common Units	(1,586)	(7,678)	(3,600)
Repurchase of units related to tax withholdings	(3,506)	(2,557)	(2,721)
Borrowings on revolving credit facility	506,900	837,000	524,100
Repayments of revolving credit facility	(513,600)	(644,300)	(863,100)
Borrowings on mortgages and notes payable	296,949	0	507,350
Repayments of mortgages and notes payable	(174,302)	(259,202)	(219,530)
Borrowings on financing obligations	0	0	1,839
Payments on financing obligations	(2,904)	(1,941)	(1,316)
Payments of debt extinguishment costs	(369)	0	(908)
Contributions from noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	0	16,240	0
Additions to deferred financing costs and other financing activities	(3,142)	(3,098)	(5,867)
Net cash provided by financing activities	59,935	96,555	48,258
Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(1,343)	(3,586)	2,716
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period	10,281	13,867	11,151
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period	8,938	10,281	13,867
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Cash paid for interest, net of amounts capitalized	83,086	85,919	93,547
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities:
Unrealized gains/(losses) on cash flow hedges	(5,662)	5,778	(10,358)
Changes in accrued capital expenditures	5,283	18,384	8,116
Write-off of fully depreciated real estate assets	42,633	31,008	48,978
Write-off of fully amortized deferred financing and leasing costs	25,286	27,347	19,176
Unrealized gains on marketable securities of non-qualified deferred compensation plan	235	803	475
Adjustment of Redeemable Common Units to fair value	23,568	(18,389)	11,915
Unrealized gains on tax increment financing bond	584	869	411
Assumption of mortgages and notes payable related to acquisition activities	0	165,515	7,837
Reduction of advances to unconsolidated affiliates related to acquisition activities	0	0	26,000
Issuances of Common Units to acquire real estate assets	0	0	2,299
Reclass of aggregate differences between historical cost basis and the basis reflected at the joint venture level for assets acquired	0	8,206	0
Contingent consideration in connection with the acquisition of land	3,300	0	0
Option deposit applied upon acquisition of real estate assets	$ 0	$ 5,000	$ 0