Income Per Share (Schedule of Antidilutive Securities Excluded From Computation Of Earnings Per Share) (Details) - shares	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (in shares)	20,118,783	21,429,247	22,000,089
Weighted average of Operating Partnership common units not owned by Digital Realty Trust, Inc.
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (in shares)	2,658,291	2,753,614	2,521,400
Potentially dilutive 2029 Debentures
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (in shares)	0	1,957,963	6,649,510
Potentially dilutive Series D Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (in shares)	0	0	470,748
Potentially dilutive Series E Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (in shares)	4,301,438	4,956,175	5,176,886
Potentially dilutive Series F Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (in shares)	2,727,962	3,143,195	3,283,169
Potentially dilutive Series G Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (in shares)	3,730,042	4,297,805	3,898,376
Potentially dilutive Series H Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (in shares)	5,465,987	4,320,495	0
Potentially dilutive Series I Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (in shares)	1,235,063	0	0