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, 2015			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 on Common Units		(41,939)			(419)	(41,520)			0		0
Distributions 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 income/(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
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)
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2016	101,665,554		101,665,554
Balance at Dec. 31, 2016	$ 2,154,316	2,125,396	$ 1,017	28,920	21,023	2,081,463	2,850,881	4,949	4,949	17,961	17,961	(749,412)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Issuances of Common Units, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings		9,134			91	9,043			0		0
Distributions on Common Units		(45,986)			(460)	(45,526)			0		0
Distributions on Preferred Units		(623)			(6)	(617)			0		0
Issuances of Common Stock, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings - Shares			239,817
Issuances of Common Stock, net of issuance costs and tax withholdings	9,134		$ 2	0			9,132	0		0		0
Conversions of Common Units to Common Stock - Shares			2,000
Conversions of Common Units to Common Stock	102		$ 0	0			102	0		0		0
Dividends on Common Stock	(44,917)		0	0			0	0		0		(44,917)
Dividends on Preferred Stock	(623)		0	0			0	0		0		(623)
Adjustment of noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership to fair value	4,972		0	0			4,972	0		0		0
Distributions to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	(466)	(466)	$ 0	0	0	0	0	0	0	(466)	(466)	0
Issuances of restricted stock - shares			110,748
Issuances of restricted stock	0		$ 0	0			0	0		0		0
Redemptions/repurchases of Preferred Stock	(15)		$ 0	(15)			0	0		0		0
Share-based compensation expense, net of forfeitures - shares			0
Share-based compensation expense, net of forfeitures	3,783	3,783	$ 1	0	38	3,745	3,782	0	0	0	0	0
Adjustment of Redeemable Common Units to fair value and contributions/distributions from/to the General Partner		5,255			52	5,203			0		0
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership	(888)		0	0			0	0		0		(888)
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests in consolidated affiliates	0	0	0	0	(3)	(297)	0	0	0	300	300	(300)
Comprehensive income:
Net income	33,485	33,485	0	0	335	33,150	0	0	0	0	0	33,485
Other comprehensive income/(loss)	936	936	$ 0	0	0	0	0	936	936	0	0	0
Total comprehensive income	$ 34,421	34,421
Balance (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2017	102,018,119		102,018,119
Balance at Mar. 31, 2017	$ 2,159,819	$ 2,130,914	$ 1,020	$ 28,905	$ 21,070	$ 2,086,164	$ 2,868,869	$ 5,885	$ 5,885	$ 17,795	$ 17,795	$ (762,655)