Disclosure About Fair Value of Financial Instruments - Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Assets:
Mortgages and notes receivable, at fair value	$ 13,142,000	[1]	$ 26,485,000	[1]
Interest rate swaps (in prepaid expenses and other assets)			301,000
Marketable securities of non-qualified deferred compensation plan (in prepaid expenses and other assets)	3,635,000		3,996,000		3,354,000
Tax increment financing bond (in prepaid expenses and other assets)	12,447,000		13,403,000
Total Assets	29,224,000		44,185,000
Liabilities:
Mortgages and notes payable, at fair value	2,141,334,000	[1]	2,037,385,000	[1]
Interest rate swaps (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)	2,412,000		510,000
Non-qualified deferred compensation obligation (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)	3,635,000		3,996,000		3,354,000	3,149,000
Financing obligations, at fair value	20,117,000	[1]	22,478,000	[1]
Total Liabilities	2,167,498,000		2,064,369,000
Level 1 [Member]
Assets:
Mortgages and notes receivable, at fair value	0	[1]	0	[1]
Interest rate swaps (in prepaid expenses and other assets)			0
Marketable securities of non-qualified deferred compensation plan (in prepaid expenses and other assets)	3,635,000		3,996,000
Tax increment financing bond (in prepaid expenses and other assets)	0		0
Total Assets	3,635,000		3,996,000
Liabilities:
Mortgages and notes payable, at fair value	0	[1]	0	[1]
Interest rate swaps (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)	0		0
Non-qualified deferred compensation obligation (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)	3,635,000		3,996,000
Financing obligations, at fair value	0	[1]	0	[1]
Total Liabilities	3,635,000		3,996,000
Level 2 [Member]
Assets:
Mortgages and notes receivable, at fair value	2,247,000	[1]	17,029,000	[1]
Interest rate swaps (in prepaid expenses and other assets)			301,000
Marketable securities of non-qualified deferred compensation plan (in prepaid expenses and other assets)	0		0
Tax increment financing bond (in prepaid expenses and other assets)	0		0
Total Assets	2,247,000		17,330,000
Liabilities:
Mortgages and notes payable, at fair value	2,141,334,000	[1]	2,037,385,000	[1]
Interest rate swaps (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)	2,412,000		510,000
Non-qualified deferred compensation obligation (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)	0		0
Financing obligations, at fair value	0	[1]	0	[1]
Total Liabilities	2,143,746,000		2,037,895,000
Level 3 [Member]
Assets:
Mortgages and notes receivable, at fair value	10,895,000	[1]	9,456,000	[1]
Interest rate swaps (in prepaid expenses and other assets)			0
Marketable securities of non-qualified deferred compensation plan (in prepaid expenses and other assets)	0		0
Tax increment financing bond (in prepaid expenses and other assets)	12,447,000		13,403,000
Total Assets	23,342,000		22,859,000
Liabilities:
Mortgages and notes payable, at fair value	0	[1]	0	[1]
Interest rate swaps (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)	0		0
Non-qualified deferred compensation obligation (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)	0		0
Financing obligations, at fair value	20,117,000	[1]	22,478,000	[1]
Total Liabilities	20,117,000		22,478,000
Highwoods Properties, Inc. [Member]
Assets:
Noncontrolling Interests in the Operating Partnership	130,048,000		106,480,000
Highwoods Properties, Inc. [Member] | Level 1 [Member]
Assets:
Noncontrolling Interests in the Operating Partnership	130,048,000		106,480,000
Highwoods Properties, Inc. [Member] | Level 2 [Member]
Assets:
Noncontrolling Interests in the Operating Partnership	0		0
Highwoods Properties, Inc. [Member] | Level 3 [Member]
Assets:
Noncontrolling Interests in the Operating Partnership	$ 0		$ 0

[1] Amounts recorded at historical cost on our Consolidated Balance Sheets at December 31, 2014 and 2013.