Disclosure About Fair Value of Financial Instruments - Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Assets:
Mortgages and notes receivable, at fair value	[1]	$ 2,096	$ 13,142
Marketable securities of non-qualified deferred compensation plan (in prepaid expenses and other assets)		2,736	3,635	$ 3,996
Tax increment financing bond (in real estate and other assets, net, held for sale)		11,197	12,447
Total Assets		16,029	29,224
Liabilities:
Mortgages and notes payable, at fair value	[1]	2,525,390	2,141,334
Interest rate swaps (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)		3,073	2,412
Non-qualified deferred compensation obligation (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)		2,736	3,635	$ 3,996	$ 3,354
Financing obligation, at fair value (in liabilities held for sale)	[1]	7,402	8,623
Total Liabilities		2,538,601	2,156,004
Level 1 [Member]
Assets:
Mortgages and notes receivable, at fair value	[1]	0	0
Marketable securities of non-qualified deferred compensation plan (in prepaid expenses and other assets)		2,736	3,635
Tax increment financing bond (in real estate and other assets, net, held for sale)		0	0
Total Assets		2,736	3,635
Liabilities:
Mortgages and notes payable, at fair value	[1]	0	0
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)		2,736	3,635
Financing obligation, at fair value (in liabilities held for sale)	[1]	0	0
Total Liabilities		2,736	3,635
Level 2 [Member]
Assets:
Mortgages and notes receivable, at fair value	[1]	2,096	2,247
Marketable securities of non-qualified deferred compensation plan (in prepaid expenses and other assets)		0	0
Tax increment financing bond (in real estate and other assets, net, held for sale)		0	0
Total Assets		2,096	2,247
Liabilities:
Mortgages and notes payable, at fair value	[1]	2,525,390	2,141,334
Interest rate swaps (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)		3,073	2,412
Non-qualified deferred compensation obligation (in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities)		0	0
Financing obligation, at fair value (in liabilities held for sale)	[1]	0	0
Total Liabilities		2,528,463	2,143,746
Level 3 [Member]
Assets:
Mortgages and notes receivable, at fair value	[1]	0	10,895
Marketable securities of non-qualified deferred compensation plan (in prepaid expenses and other assets)		0	0
Tax increment financing bond (in real estate and other assets, net, held for sale)		11,197	12,447
Total Assets		11,197	23,342
Liabilities:
Mortgages and notes payable, at fair value	[1]	0	0
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 obligation, at fair value (in liabilities held for sale)	[1]	7,402	8,623
Total Liabilities		7,402	8,623
Highwoods Properties, Inc. [Member]
Assets:
Noncontrolling Interests in the Operating Partnership		126,429	130,048
Highwoods Properties, Inc. [Member] | Level 1 [Member]
Assets:
Noncontrolling Interests in the Operating Partnership		126,429	130,048
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, 2015 and 2014.