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, 2017			103,266,875
Balance at Dec. 31, 2017	$ 2,237,234	$ 2,208,342	$ 1,033	$ 28,892	$ 21,830	$ 2,161,258	$ 2,929,399	$ 7,838	$ 7,838	$ 17,416	$ 17,416	$ (747,344)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Issuances of Common Units, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings		415			4	411
Distributions on Common Units		(97,800)			(978)	(96,822)
Distributions on Preferred Units		(1,246)			(12)	(1,234)
Issuances of Common Stock, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings - Shares			(3,396)
Issuances of Common Stock, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings	415		$ 0				415
Conversions of Common Units to Common Stock - Shares			23,196
Conversions of Common Units to Common Stock	1,084						1,084
Dividends on Common Stock	(95,579)											(95,579)
Dividends on Preferred Stock	(1,246)											(1,246)
Adjustment of noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership to fair value	272						272
Distributions to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	(543)	(543)								(543)	(543)
Issuances of restricted stock - shares			172,440
Issuances of restricted stock	0
Redemptions/repurchases of Preferred Stock	(5)			(5)
Share-based compensation expense, net of forfeitures	5,468	5,468	$ 2		55	5,413	5,466
Adjustment of Redeemable Common Units to fair value and contributions/distributions from/to the General Partner		1,308			13	1,295
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership	(2,269)											(2,269)
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	0	0			(6)	(588)				594	594	(594)
Comprehensive income:
Net income	87,244	87,244			872	86,372						87,244
Other comprehensive income/(loss)	8,118	8,118						8,118	8,118
Total comprehensive income	95,362	95,362
Balance (in shares) at Jun. 30, 2018			103,459,115
Balance at Jun. 30, 2018	2,240,193	2,211,306	$ 1,035	28,887	21,778	2,156,105	2,936,636	15,956	15,956	17,467	17,467	(759,788)
Balance (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2018			103,421,754
Balance at Mar. 31, 2018	2,253,500	2,224,613	$ 1,034	28,887	21,915	2,169,625	2,953,148	15,609	15,609	17,464	17,464	(762,642)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Issuances of Common Units, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings		1,444			14	1,430
Distributions on Common Units		(48,942)			(490)	(48,452)
Distributions on Preferred Units		(623)			(6)	(617)
Issuances of Common Stock, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings - Shares			33,361
Issuances of Common Stock, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings	1,444		$ 0				1,444
Conversions of Common Units to Common Stock - Shares			4,000
Conversions of Common Units to Common Stock	182						182
Dividends on Common Stock	(47,832)											(47,832)
Dividends on Preferred Stock	(623)											(623)
Adjustment of noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership to fair value	(19,310)						(19,310)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	(305)	(305)								(305)	(305)
Share-based compensation expense, net of forfeitures	1,173	1,173	$ 1		12	1,161	1,172
Adjustment of Redeemable Common Units to fair value and contributions/distributions from/to the General Partner		(19,399)			(194)	(19,205)
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership	(1,381)											(1,381)
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	0	0			(3)	(305)				308	308	(308)
Comprehensive income:
Net income	52,998	52,998			530	52,468						52,998
Other comprehensive income/(loss)	347	347						347	347
Total comprehensive income	53,345	53,345
Balance (in shares) at Jun. 30, 2018			103,459,115
Balance at Jun. 30, 2018	$ 2,240,193	2,211,306	$ 1,035	28,887	21,778	2,156,105	2,936,636	15,956	15,956	17,467	17,467	(759,788)
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2018	103,557,065		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		(731)			(7)	(724)
Distributions on Common Units		(100,634)			(1,006)	(99,628)
Distributions on Preferred Units		(1,244)			(12)	(1,232)
Issuances of Common Stock, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings - Shares			(23,705)
Issuances of Common Stock, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings	(731)		$ 0				(731)
Conversions of Common Units to Common Stock - Shares			8,000
Conversions of Common Units to Common Stock	353						353
Dividends on Common Stock	(98,425)											(98,425)
Dividends on Preferred Stock	(1,244)											(1,244)
Adjustment of noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership to fair value	(8,532)						(8,532)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	(784)	(784)								(784)	(784)
Contributions from noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	4,987	4,987								4,987	4,987
Issuances of restricted stock - shares			164,190
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	5,512	5,512	$ 1		55	5,457	5,511
Adjustment of Redeemable Common Units to fair value and contributions/distributions from/to the General Partner		(7,207)			(72)	(7,135)
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership	(1,237)											(1,237)
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	0	0			(6)	(616)				622	622	(622)
Comprehensive income:
Net income	49,780	49,780			498	49,282						49,780
Other comprehensive income/(loss)	(3,425)	(3,425)						(3,425)	(3,425)
Total comprehensive income	$ 46,355	46,355
Balance (in shares) at Jun. 30, 2019	103,704,603		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)
Balance (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2019			103,690,619
Balance at Mar. 31, 2019	2,200,268	2,171,409	$ 1,037	28,859	21,463	2,124,868	2,956,517	7,494	7,494	17,584	17,584	(811,223)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Issuances of Common Units, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings		397			4	393
Distributions on Common Units		(50,353)			(503)	(49,850)
Distributions on Preferred Units		(622)			(6)	(616)
Issuances of Common Stock, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings - Shares			9,672
Issuances of Common Stock, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings	397		$ 0				397
Conversions of Common Units to Common Stock - Shares			5,000
Conversions of Common Units to Common Stock	222						222
Dividends on Common Stock	(49,250)											(49,250)
Dividends on Preferred Stock	(622)											(622)
Adjustment of noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership to fair value	14,722						14,722
Distributions to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	(476)	(476)								(476)	(476)
Contributions from noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	4,987	4,987								4,987	4,987
Share-based compensation expense, net of forfeitures - shares			(688)
Share-based compensation expense, net of forfeitures	940	940	$ 0		9	931	940
Adjustment of Redeemable Common Units to fair value and contributions/distributions from/to the General Partner		15,003			150	14,853
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership	(1,044)											(1,044)
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	0	0			(3)	(303)				306	306	(306)
Comprehensive income:
Net income	41,394	41,394			414	40,980						41,394
Other comprehensive income/(loss)	(1,006)	(1,006)						(1,006)	(1,006)
Total comprehensive income	$ 40,388	40,388
Balance (in shares) at Jun. 30, 2019	103,704,603		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)