Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies (Details) $ in Thousands, ft² in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) a ft² property customers shares	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Description of Business [Abstract]
Rentable square feet of commercial real estate (in square feet) | ft²	30.7
Rentable square feet of commercial real estate under development (in square feet) | ft²	1.5
Undeveloped land suitable for future development (in acres) | a	400
Number of common units required to convert to one share of common stock (in shares)	1
Number of trading days preceeding Redemption Notice Date (in days)	10 days
Consolidated in-service office properties not wholly owned (in units) | property	3
Joint venture partner's interest in unconsolidated affiliate (in hundredths)			80.00%
Real estate assets, depreciation expense | $	$ 184,385	$ 173,072	$ 168,663
Maturity of highly liquid investments (in months)	3 months
Percent of annual REIT taxable income required to pay to the Company's stockholders	90.00%
Customers with leases on wholly owned properties | customers	1,792
Percent of annualized cash rental revenue derived from geographic locations	10.00%
Limit of consolidated revenue generated by any single customer	6.00%
Minimum [Member]
Description of Business [Abstract]
Adjustment interval of variable debt interest rates, mimimum (in months)	1 month
Maximum [Member]
Description of Business [Abstract]
Adjustment interval of variable debt interest rates, mimimum (in months)	3 months
Building [Member]
Description of Business [Abstract]
Property, plant and equipment useful life	40 years
Building Improvements [Member]
Description of Business [Abstract]
Property, plant and equipment useful life	15 years
Furniture and Fixtures [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Description of Business [Abstract]
Property, plant and equipment useful life	5 years
Furniture and Fixtures [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Description of Business [Abstract]
Property, plant and equipment useful life	7 years
Leaseholds and Leasehold Improvements [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Description of Business [Abstract]
Property, plant and equipment useful life	3 years
Leaseholds and Leasehold Improvements [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Description of Business [Abstract]
Property, plant and equipment useful life	10 years
Highwoods Properties, Inc. [Member]
Description of Business [Abstract]
Common Units of partnership owned (in shares)	102,900,000
Percentage of ownership of Common Units	97.30%	97.30%
Common units redeemed for a like number of common shares of stock (in shares)	10,000
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member]
Description of Business [Abstract]
Common Units of partnership not owned by the Company (in shares)	2,800,000