Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Operating activities:
Net income	$ 131,097	$ 84,235	$ 47,971
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	182,710	158,327	143,146
Amortization of lease incentives and acquisition-related intangible assets and liabilities	345	355	1,446
Share-based compensation expense	6,899	7,613	6,094
Allowance for losses on accounts and accrued straight-line rents receivable	1,516	1,059	2,521
Accrued interest on mortgages and notes receivable	(485)	0	0
Amortization of deferred financing costs	3,802	3,685	3,312
Amortization of cash flow hedges	3,370	3,053	(118)
Amortization of mortgages and notes payable fair value adjustments	(1,825)	0	0
Impairments of real estate assets	2,194	0	2,429
Losses on debt extinguishment	199	973	24
Net gains on disposition of property	(63,789)	(29,455)	(3,337)
(Gains)/losses on for-sale residential condominiums	0	(444)	316
Gains on disposition of investments in unconsolidated affiliates	0	0	(2,282)
Gain on acquisition of controlling interest in unconsolidated affiliate	(7,451)	0	0
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates	(2,264)	(5,035)	(4,878)
Changes in financing obligations	(753)	(1,282)	(476)
Distributions of earnings from unconsolidated affiliates	3,985	4,618	5,029
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	(920)	3,132	(8,498)
Prepaid expenses and other assets	684	(1,129)	(400)
Accrued straight-line rents receivable	(18,253)	(17,919)	(13,604)
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	15,376	(18,370)	16,701
Net cash provided by operating activities	256,437	193,416	195,396
Investing activities:
Investments in acquired real estate and related intangible assets, net of cash acquired	(418,796)	(269,847)	(75,510)
Investment in acquired controlling interest in unconsolidated affiliate	(32,818)	0	0
Investments in development in process	(34,474)	(13,288)	(5,835)
Investments in tenant improvements and deferred leasing costs	(103,243)	(79,639)	(80,934)
Investments in building improvements	(53,189)	(35,799)	(22,287)
Net proceeds from disposition of real estate assets	254,022	152,456	17,717
Net proceeds from disposition of for-sale residential condominiums	0	5,195	3,020
Proceeds from disposition of investments in unconsolidated affiliates	0	0	4,756
Distributions of capital from unconsolidated affiliates	27,486	1,311	1,577
Investments in mortgages and notes receivable	(902)	(8,648)	0
Repayments of mortgages and notes receivable	405	1,776	444
Investments in and advances/repayments to/from unconsolidated affiliates	(429)	8,291	(39,901)
Changes in restricted cash and other investing activities	5,335	(620)	(18,526)
Net cash (used in) investing activities	(356,603)	(238,812)	(215,479)
Financing activities:
Dividends on Common Stock	(145,964)	(128,652)	(122,745)
Redemptions/repurchases of Preferred Stock	0	0	(52,515)
Dividends on Preferred Stock	(2,508)	(2,508)	(4,553)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership	(5,667)	(6,334)	(6,413)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	(546)	(679)	(569)
Proceeds from the issuance of Common Stock	316,081	249,489	23,270
Costs paid for the issuance of Common Stock	(7,678)	(3,600)	0
Repurchase of shares related to tax withholdings	(2,557)	(2,721)	0
Borrowings on revolving credit facility	837,000	524,100	525,800
Repayments of revolving credit facility	(644,300)	(863,100)	(193,800)
Borrowings on mortgages and notes payable	0	507,350	200,000
Repayments of mortgages and notes payable	(259,202)	(219,530)	(344,203)
Borrowings on financing obligations	0	1,839	0
Payments on financing obligations	(1,941)	(1,316)	(1,194)
Payments on debt extinguishment	0	(908)	0
Contributions from noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	16,240	0	0
Additions to deferred financing costs and other financing activities	(2,391)	(5,439)	(6,013)
Net cash provided by financing activities	96,567	47,991	17,065
Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(3,599)	2,595	(3,018)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period	13,783	11,188	14,206
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period	10,184	13,783	11,188
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Cash paid for interest, net of amounts capitalized	85,919	93,547	90,838
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities:
Unrealized gains/(losses) on cash flow hedges	5,778	(10,358)	(2,202)
Conversions of Common Units to Common Stock	28,788	2,096	1,906
Changes in accrued capital expenditures	18,384	8,116	11,048
Write-off of fully depreciated real estate assets	31,008	48,978	48,565
Write-off of fully amortized deferred financing and leasing costs	27,347	19,176	19,987
Unrealized gains/(losses) on marketable securities of non-qualified deferred compensation plan	803	475	(119)
Adjustment of noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership to fair value	11,375	16,491	(3,955)
Unrealized gains on tax increment financing bond	869	411	234
Assumption of mortgages and notes payable related to acquisition activities	165,515	7,837	192,367
Reduction of advances to unconsolidated affiliates related to acquisition activities	0	26,000	0
Issuances of Common Units to acquire real estate assets	0	2,299	0
Reclass of aggregate differences between historical cost basis and the basis reflected at the joint venture level for assets acquired	8,206	0	0
Option deposit applied upon acquisition of real estate assets	5,000	0	0
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]
Operating activities:
Net income	131,046	84,295	48,032
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	182,710	158,327	143,146
Amortization of lease incentives and acquisition-related intangible assets and liabilities	345	355	1,446
Share-based compensation expense	6,899	7,613	6,094
Allowance for losses on accounts and accrued straight-line rents receivable	1,516	1,059	2,521
Accrued interest on mortgages and notes receivable	(485)	0	0
Amortization of deferred financing costs	3,802	3,685	3,312
Amortization of cash flow hedges	3,370	3,053	(118)
Amortization of mortgages and notes payable fair value adjustments	(1,825)	0	0
Impairments of real estate assets	2,194	0	2,429
Losses on debt extinguishment	199	973	24
Net gains on disposition of property	(63,789)	(29,455)	(3,337)
(Gains)/losses on for-sale residential condominiums	0	(444)	316
Gains on disposition of investments in unconsolidated affiliates	0	0	(2,282)
Gain on acquisition of controlling interest in unconsolidated affiliate	(7,451)	0	0
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates	(2,213)	(5,095)	(4,939)
Changes in financing obligations	(753)	(1,282)	(476)
Distributions of earnings from unconsolidated affiliates	3,965	4,592	5,005
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	(920)	3,132	(8,498)
Prepaid expenses and other assets	684	(1,129)	(400)
Accrued straight-line rents receivable	(18,253)	(17,919)	(13,604)
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	15,421	(18,490)	16,701
Net cash provided by operating activities	256,462	193,270	195,372
Investing activities:
Investments in acquired real estate and related intangible assets, net of cash acquired	(418,796)	(269,847)	(75,510)
Investment in acquired controlling interest in unconsolidated affiliate	(32,818)	0	0
Investments in development in process	(34,474)	(13,288)	(5,835)
Investments in tenant improvements and deferred leasing costs	(103,243)	(79,639)	(80,934)
Investments in building improvements	(53,189)	(35,799)	(22,287)
Net proceeds from disposition of real estate assets	254,022	152,456	17,717
Net proceeds from disposition of for-sale residential condominiums	0	5,195	3,020
Proceeds from disposition of investments in unconsolidated affiliates	0	0	4,756
Distributions of capital from unconsolidated affiliates	27,486	1,311	1,577
Investments in mortgages and notes receivable	(902)	(8,648)	0
Repayments of mortgages and notes receivable	405	1,776	444
Investments in and advances/repayments to/from unconsolidated affiliates	(429)	8,291	(39,901)
Changes in restricted cash and other investing activities	5,335	(620)	(18,526)
Net cash (used in) investing activities	(356,603)	(238,812)	(215,479)
Financing activities:
Distributions on Common Units	(150,936)	(134,291)	(128,463)
Redemptions/repurchases of Preferred Units	0	0	(52,515)
Distributions on Preferred Units	(2,508)	(2,508)	(4,553)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	(546)	(679)	(569)
Proceeds from the issuance of Common Units	316,081	249,489	23,270
Costs paid for the issuance of Common Units	(7,678)	(3,600)	0
Repurchase of units related to tax withholdings	(2,557)	(2,721)	0
Borrowings on revolving credit facility	837,000	524,100	525,800
Repayments of revolving credit facility	(644,300)	(863,100)	(193,800)
Borrowings on mortgages and notes payable	0	507,350	200,000
Repayments of mortgages and notes payable	(259,202)	(219,530)	(344,203)
Borrowings on financing obligations	0	1,839	0
Payments on financing obligations	(1,941)	(1,316)	(1,194)
Payments on debt extinguishment	0	(908)	0
Contributions from noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	16,240	0	0
Additions to deferred financing costs and other financing activities	(3,098)	(5,867)	(6,713)
Net cash provided by financing activities	96,555	48,258	17,060
Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(3,586)	2,716	(3,047)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period	13,867	11,151	14,198
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period	10,281	13,867	11,151
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Cash paid for interest, net of amounts capitalized	85,919	93,547	90,838
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities:
Unrealized gains/(losses) on cash flow hedges	5,778	(10,358)	(2,202)
Changes in accrued capital expenditures	18,384	8,116	11,048
Write-off of fully depreciated real estate assets	31,008	48,978	48,565
Write-off of fully amortized deferred financing and leasing costs	27,347	19,176	19,987
Unrealized gains/(losses) on marketable securities of non-qualified deferred compensation plan	803	475	(119)
Adjustment of Redeemable Common Units to fair value	(18,389)	11,915	(10,183)
Unrealized gains on tax increment financing bond	869	411	234
Assumption of mortgages and notes payable related to acquisition activities	165,515	7,837	192,367
Reduction of advances to unconsolidated affiliates related to acquisition activities	0	26,000	0
Issuances of Common Units to acquire real estate assets	0	2,299	0
Reclass of aggregate differences between historical cost basis and the basis reflected at the joint venture level for assets acquired	8,206	0	0
Option deposit applied upon acquisition of real estate assets	$ 5,000	$ 0	$ 0