Fair Value of Instruments (Estimated Fair Value And Carrying Amounts) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Estimated Fair Value
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Fair value of long-term debt	$ 6,407,325	$ 6,075,148
Carrying Value
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Fair value of long-term debt	6,202,725	5,934,241
Global revolving credit facility
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Deferred financing costs	13,300	7,600
Global revolving credit facility \| Estimated Fair Value
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Lines of credit	691,161	967,884
Global revolving credit facility \| Carrying Value
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Lines of credit	691,161	967,884
Unsecured term loan
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Deferred financing costs	7,200	1,300
Unsecured term loan \| Estimated Fair Value
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Lines of credit	1,573,376	924,568
Unsecured term loan \| Carrying Value
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Lines of credit	1,573,376	924,568
Senior Notes
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Fair value of long-term debt	17,118	17,914
Deferred financing costs	25,300	26,000
Senior Notes \| Estimated Fair Value
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Unsecured senior notes	3,884,254	3,868,979
Senior Notes \| Carrying Value
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Unsecured senior notes	3,688,082	3,738,606
Mortgage Loans
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Deferred financing costs	200	300
Mortgage Loans \| Estimated Fair Value
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Mortgage Loans	258,534	313,717
Mortgage Loans \| Carrying Value
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Mortgage Loans	$ 250,106	$ 303,183
3.400% notes due 2020 \| Senior Notes
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Stated interest rate (as a percent)	3.40%
3.950% notes due 2022 \| Senior Notes
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Stated interest rate (as a percent)	3.95%
3.625% notes due 2022 \| Senior Notes
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Stated interest rate (as a percent)	3.625%
4.750% notes due 2025 \| Senior Notes
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Stated interest rate (as a percent)	4.75%

Contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22(a)(1))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount, after accumulated amortization, of debt issuance costs. Includes, but is not limited to, legal, accounting, underwriting, printing, and registration costs.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64930785&loc=d3e28555-108399

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.17)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

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Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Fair value portion of contractual arrangement with a lender under which borrowings can be made up to a specific amount at any point in time.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Line-of-Credit Arrangement
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6517033

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value portion of contractual obligation to pay money on demand or on fixed or determinable dates.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The fair value amount of long-term debt whether such amount is presented as a separate caption or as a parenthetical disclosure. Additionally, this element may be used in connection with the fair value disclosures required in the footnote disclosures to the financial statements. The element may be used in both the balance sheet and disclosure in the same submission.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value portion of notes payable.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.19,20,22)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

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- Details

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Data Type:	na
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- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=dlr_UnsecuredTermLoanMember
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Data Type:	na
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- Details

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- Details

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- Details

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- Details

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