Consolidated Statements of Equity - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Twinbrook Metro Station Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)	Ashbrook Marketplace	Limited Partner	Limited Partner Twinbrook Metro Station	Dividend paid	Dividend declared	Series C Cumulative Preferred Stock	Series C Cumulative Preferred Stock Dividend paid	Series D Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock Dividend paid	Series D Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock Dividend declared	Series E Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Series E Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock Dividend paid	Series E Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock Dividend declared	Total Saul Centers, Inc.	Total Saul Centers, Inc. Twinbrook Metro Station Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)	Total Saul Centers, Inc. Dividend paid	Total Saul Centers, Inc. Dividend declared	Total Saul Centers, Inc. Series C Cumulative Preferred Stock	Total Saul Centers, Inc. Series C Cumulative Preferred Stock Dividend paid	Total Saul Centers, Inc. Series D Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock Dividend paid	Total Saul Centers, Inc. Series D Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock Dividend declared	Total Saul Centers, Inc. Series E Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Total Saul Centers, Inc. Series E Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock Dividend paid	Total Saul Centers, Inc. Series E Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock Dividend declared	Preferred Stock	Preferred Stock Series C Cumulative Preferred Stock	Preferred Stock Series E Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Common Stock	Partnership Units in Escrow	Partnership Units in Escrow Twinbrook Metro Station Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)	Additional Paid-in Capital	Additional Paid-in Capital Series C Cumulative Preferred Stock	Additional Paid-in Capital Series E Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Distributions in Excess of Accumulated Earnings	Distributions in Excess of Accumulated Earnings Dividend paid	Distributions in Excess of Accumulated Earnings Dividend declared	Distributions in Excess of Accumulated Earnings Series C Cumulative Preferred Stock	Distributions in Excess of Accumulated Earnings Series C Cumulative Preferred Stock Dividend paid	Distributions in Excess of Accumulated Earnings Series D Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock Dividend paid	Distributions in Excess of Accumulated Earnings Series D Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock Dividend declared	Distributions in Excess of Accumulated Earnings Series E Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock Dividend paid	Distributions in Excess of Accumulated Earnings Series E Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock Dividend declared	Accumulated Other Comprehensive (Loss)	Noncontrolling Interests	Noncontrolling Interests Twinbrook Metro Station Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)	Noncontrolling Interests Ashbrook Marketplace	Noncontrolling Interests Limited Partner	Noncontrolling Interests Limited Partner Twinbrook Metro Station	Noncontrolling Interests Dividend paid	Noncontrolling Interests Dividend declared
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2018	$ 425,220														$ 355,912											$ 180,000			$ 227	$ 0		$ 384,533			$ (208,593)									$ (255)	$ 69,308
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Issuance of cumulative preferred stock												$ 106,265											$ 106,265					$ 110,000						$ (3,735)
Stock redeemed or called during period, value								$ (105,000)											$ (105,000)								$ (105,000)						$ 3,235					$ (3,235)
Issuance of common stock:
Shares issued pursuant to dividend reinvestment plan	22,498														22,498														4			22,494
Shares issued due to exercise of employee stock options and issuance of directors' deferred stock	4,400														4,400														1			4,399
Issuance of partnership units	3,180																																												3,180
Net income	64,196														51,723																				51,723										12,473
Change in unrealized loss on cash flow hedge	343														255																													255	88
Preferred stock distributions:
Preferred stock distributions									$ (5,736)	$ (3,444)	$ (1,148)		$ (257)	$ (1,650)						$ (5,736)	$ (3,444)	$ (1,148)		$ (257)	$ (1,650)														$ (5,736)	$ (3,444)	$ (1,148)	$ (257)	$ (1,650)
Common stock distributions							$ (49,056)											$ (36,562)																			$ (36,562)													$ (12,494)
Distributions payable common stock and distributions payable partnership units							(16,455)											(12,275)																			(12,275)														$ (4,180)
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2019	443,356														374,981											185,000			232	0		410,926			(221,177)									0	68,375
Issuance of common stock:
Shares issued pursuant to dividend reinvestment plan	7,735														7,735														3			7,732
Shares issued due to exercise of employee stock options and issuance of directors' deferred stock	1,967														1,967																	1,967
Issuance of partnership units	1,677																																												1,677
Net income	50,316														40,382																				40,382										9,934
Preferred stock distributions:
Preferred stock distributions							(1,650)			(3,446)	(1,148)		(4,950)					(1,650)			(3,446)	(1,148)		$ (4,950)													(1,650)			(3,446)	(1,148)	(4,950)
Common stock distributions						$ (49,679)											$ (37,108)																			$ (37,108)														(12,571)
Distributions payable common stock and distributions payable partnership units							(16,645)											(12,438)																			(12,438)														(4,207)
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2020	427,533														364,325											185,000			235	0		420,625			(241,535)									0	63,208
Issuance of common stock:
Shares issued pursuant to dividend reinvestment plan	11,500			$ 2,398											11,500														3			11,497																$ 2,398
Shares issued due to exercise of employee stock options and issuance of directors' deferred stock	4,487														4,487																	4,487
Stock Issued During Period, Value, Acquisitions		$ 79,300	$ 4,320		$ 21,500											$ 79,300															$ 79,300																$ 4,320		$ 21,500
708,036 restricted units released from escrow pursuant to the Twinbrook Contribution Agreement		$ 0														$ (39,650)															$ (39,650)															$ 39,650
Net income	61,649														48,389																				48,389										13,260
Preferred stock distributions:
Preferred stock distributions							(1,650)			$ (3,445)	$ (1,149)		$ (4,950)					(1,650)			$ (3,445)	$ (1,149)															(1,650)			$ (3,445)	$ (1,149)	$ (4,950)
Common stock distributions						$ (52,139)											$ (38,525)																			$ (38,525)														$ (13,614)
Distributions payable common stock and distributions payable partnership units							$ (18,867)											$ (13,583)																			$ (13,583)														$ (5,284)
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2021	$ 530,487														$ 405,049											$ 185,000			$ 238	$ 39,650		$ 436,609			$ (256,448)									$ 0	$ 125,438