Consolidated Statements of Equity/Capital - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]	Common Stock [Member]	Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Shares [Member]	General Partners' Common Units [Member] Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]	Limited Partners' Common Units [Member] Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member] Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]	Noncontrolling Interests in Consolidated Affiliates [Member]	Noncontrolling Interests in Consolidated Affiliates [Member] Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]	Distributions in Excess of Net Income Available for Common Stockholders [Member]
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2014			92,907,310
Balance at Dec. 31, 2014	$ 1,551,091	$ 1,522,223	$ 929	$ 29,060	$ 15,078	$ 1,492,948	$ 2,464,275	$ (3,912)	$ (3,912)	$ 18,109	$ 18,109	$ (957,370)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Issuances of Common Units, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings		40,567			406	40,161			0		0
Distributions paid on Common Units		(40,637)			(406)	(40,231)			0		0
Distributions paid on Preferred Units		(627)			(6)	(621)			0		0
Issuances of Common Stock, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings - Shares			989,417
Issuances of Common Stock, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings	40,567		$ 10	0			40,557	0		0		0
Conversions of Common Units to Common Stock - Shares			26,820
Conversions of Common Units to Common Stock	1,206		$ 0	0			1,206	0		0		0
Dividends on Common Stock	(39,563)		0	0			0	0		0		(39,563)
Dividends on Preferred Stock	(627)		0	0			0	0		0		(627)
Adjustment of noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership to fair value	(5,036)		0	0			(5,036)	0		0		0
Distributions to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	(321)	(321)	$ 0	0	0	0	0	0	0	(321)	(321)	0
Issuances of restricted stock - shares			123,571
Issuances of restricted stock	0		$ 0	0			0	0		0		0
Redemptions/repurchases of Preferred Stock	(10)		0	(10)			0	0		0		0
Share-based compensation expense, net of forfeitures	3,866	3,866	1	0	39	3,827	3,865	0	0	0	0	0
Adjustment of Redeemable Common Units to fair value and contributions/distributions from/to the General Partner		(3,544)			(36)	(3,508)			0		0
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership	(596)		0	0			0	0		0		(596)
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	0	0	0	0	(3)	(293)	0	0	0	296	296	(296)
Comprehensive income:
Net income	20,835	20,835	0	0	208	20,627	0	0	0	0	0	20,835
Other comprehensive loss	(1,797)	(1,797)	$ 0	0	0	0	0	(1,797)	(1,797)	0	0	0
Total comprehensive income	19,038	19,038
Balance (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2015			94,047,118
Balance at Mar. 31, 2015	$ 1,569,615	1,540,565	$ 940	29,050	15,280	1,512,910	2,504,867	(5,709)	(5,709)	18,084	18,084	(977,617)
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2015	96,091,932		96,091,932
Balance at Dec. 31, 2015	$ 1,619,282	1,590,232	$ 961	29,050	15,759	1,560,309	2,598,242	(3,811)	(3,811)	17,975	17,975	(1,023,135)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Issuances of Common Units, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings		50,898			509	50,389			0		0
Distributions paid on Common Units		(41,939)			(419)	(41,520)			0		0
Distributions paid on Preferred Units		(626)			(6)	(620)			0		0
Issuances of Common Stock, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings - Shares			1,177,885
Issuances of Common Stock, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings	50,898		$ 12	0			50,886	0		0		0
Conversions of Common Units to Common Stock	0
Dividends on Common Stock	(40,881)		0	0			0	0		0		(40,881)
Dividends on Preferred Stock	(626)		0	0			0	0		0		(626)
Adjustment of noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership to fair value	(429)		0	0			(429)	0		0		0
Distributions to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	(320)	(320)	$ 0	0	0	0	0	0	0	(320)	(320)	0
Issuances of restricted stock - shares			122,832
Issuances of restricted stock	0		$ 0	0			0	0		0		0
Redemptions/repurchases of Preferred Stock	(20)		$ 0	(20)			0	0		0		0
Share-based compensation expense, net of forfeitures - shares			(348)
Share-based compensation expense, net of forfeitures	3,556	3,556	$ 1	0	36	3,520	3,555	0	0	0	0	0
Adjustment of Redeemable Common Units to fair value and contributions/distributions from/to the General Partner		(12,382)			(124)	(12,258)			0		0
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership	(13,011)		0	0			0	0		0		(13,011)
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	0	0	0	0	(3)	(305)	0	0	0	308	308	(308)
Comprehensive income:
Net income	446,735	446,735	0	0	4,467	442,268	0	0	0	0	0	446,735
Other comprehensive loss	(2,840)	(2,840)	$ 0	0	0	0	0	(2,840)	(2,840)	0	0	0
Total comprehensive income	$ 443,895	443,895
Balance (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2016	97,392,301		97,392,301
Balance at Mar. 31, 2016	$ 2,062,344	$ 2,033,314	$ 974	$ 29,030	$ 20,219	$ 2,001,783	$ 2,652,254	$ (6,651)	$ (6,651)	$ 17,963	$ 17,963	$ (631,226)