Debt Of The Operating Partnership (Schedule Of Debt Maturities And Principal Maturities) (Details) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011
Debt of the Operating Partnership [Line Items]
Total, Unsecured Debt	$ 1,737,881,000		$ 1,441,072,000
Total, Exchangeable Senior Debentures	266,400,000		266,400,000
Total, Mortgage Loans	794,485,000		947,132,000
Digital Realty Trust, L.P. [Member]
Debt of the Operating Partnership [Line Items]
Remainder of 2012	3,765,000
2013	226,837,000
2014	482,788,000
2015	1,043,865,000
2016	216,979,000
Thereafter	2,115,700,000
Subtotal	4,089,934,000
Unamortized discounts	(12,119,000)		(8,928,000)
Unamortized premium	2,258,000
Total, Unsecured Debt	1,737,881,000		1,441,072,000
Total, Senior Notes	1,562,881,000		1,266,072,000
Total, Exchangeable Senior Debentures	266,400,000		266,400,000
Total, Mortgage Loans	794,485,000		947,132,000
Total Indebtedness	4,080,073,000		2,940,210,000
Global Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt of the Operating Partnership [Line Items]
Total, Credit Facility	526,372,000		275,106,000
Global Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | Digital Realty Trust, L.P. [Member]
Debt of the Operating Partnership [Line Items]
2015	526,372,000	[1]
Subtotal	526,372,000	[1]
Total, Credit Facility	526,372,000	[1]	275,106,000
Revolving credit facility commitments extension (years)	1 year
Unsecured Term Loan [Member]
Debt of the Operating Partnership [Line Items]
Total, Credit Facility	754,935,000
Unsecured Term Loan [Member] | Digital Realty Trust, L.P. [Member]
Debt of the Operating Partnership [Line Items]
Thereafter	754,935,000
Subtotal	754,935,000
Total, Credit Facility	754,935,000
Unsecured Senior Notes [Member] | Digital Realty Trust, L.P. [Member]
Debt of the Operating Partnership [Line Items]
2013	33,000,000
2015	67,000,000
2016	25,000,000
Thereafter	50,000,000
Subtotal	175,000,000
Total, Unsecured Debt	175,000,000
Senior Notes [Member] | Digital Realty Trust, L.P. [Member]
Debt of the Operating Partnership [Line Items]
2015	375,000,000
Thereafter	1,200,000,000
Subtotal	1,575,000,000
Unamortized discounts	(12,119,000)
Total, Senior Notes	1,562,881,000
Exchangeable Senior Debentures [Member] | Digital Realty Trust, L.P. [Member]
Debt of the Operating Partnership [Line Items]
2014	266,400,000
Subtotal	266,400,000
Total, Exchangeable Senior Debentures	266,400,000		266,400,000
First redemption date	Apr. 01, 2014
Mortgage Loans [Member] | Digital Realty Trust, L.P. [Member]
Debt of the Operating Partnership [Line Items]
Remainder of 2012	3,765,000	[2]
2013	193,837,000	[2]
2014	216,388,000	[2]
2015	75,493,000	[2]
2016	191,979,000	[2]
Thereafter	110,765,000	[2]
Subtotal	792,227,000	[2]
Unamortized premium	2,258,000	[2]	2,077,000
Total, Mortgage Loans	794,485,000	[2]
Limited recourse guarantees	38,600,000
Partial letter of credit	$ 37,200,000

[1] Subject to a one-year extension option exercisable by us. The bank group is obligated to grant the extension option provided we give proper notice, we make certain representations and warranties and no default exists under the global revolving credit facility.

[2] Our mortgage loans are generally non-recourse to us, subject to carve-outs for specified actions by us or specified undisclosed environmental liabilities. As of September 30, 2012, we provided limited recourse guarantees with respect to approximately $38.6 million of the outstanding mortgage indebtedness, and partial letter of credit support with respect to approximately an additional $37.2 million of the outstanding mortgage indebtedness (based on exchange rates as of September 30, 2012).