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Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified | 12 Months Ended
--- | ---
Dec. 31, 2014 jointventure property customers sqft acre | Dec. 31, 2013 | Dec. 31, 2012
Description of Business [Abstract] |  |  |
Rentable square feet of commercial real estate (in square feet) | 31,157,000 hiw_RentableSquareFeetOfCommercialRealEstate |  |
Rentable square feet of commercial real estate under development (in square feet) | 1,664,000 hiw_RentableSquareFeetOfCommercialRealEstateUnderDevelopment |  |
Undeveloped land suitable for future development (in acres) | 500 hiw_AreaOfUndevelopedLand |  |
Number of common units required to convert to one share of common stock (in shares) | 1 hiw_OpUnitConversionRate |  |
Number of trading days preceeding Redemption Notice Date (in days) | 10 days |  |
Redemptions of Common Units | $ 93 hiw_PaymentsforRedemptionofCommonUnits | $ 0 hiw_PaymentsforRedemptionofCommonUnits | $ 0 hiw_PaymentsforRedemptionofCommonUnits
Percentage of equity interest in joint ventures, maximum | 50.00%hiw_PercentageOfEquityInterestInJointVenturesMaximum |  |
Consolidated in-service office properties not wholly owned (in units) | 4 hiw_NumberOfRealEstatePropertiesConsolidatedNotWhollyOwned |  |
Number of joint ventures that have consolidated properties | 2 hiw_NumberOfUnconsolidatedAffiliatesWithConsolidatedRealEstateProperties |  |
Real estate assets, depreciation expense | 154,448 us-gaap_SECScheduleIIIRealEstateAccumulatedDepreciationDepreciationExpense | 138,163 us-gaap_SECScheduleIIIRealEstateAccumulatedDepreciationDepreciationExpense | 118,223 us-gaap_SECScheduleIIIRealEstateAccumulatedDepreciationDepreciationExpense
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%hiw_MinimumPercentageOfTaxableIncomeRequiredToBeDistributedToMaintainReitStatus |  |
Customers with leases on wholly owned properties | 1,767 hiw_NumberOfCustomers |  |
Percent of annualized cash rental revenue derived from geographic locations | 10.00%hiw_PercentageOfRevenueByGeographicAreaDeemedSignificantConcentrationOfCreditRisk |  |
Limit of consolidated revenue generated by any single customer | 7.00%hiw_LimitOfConsolidatedRevenueGeneratedByAnySingleCustomer |  |
Adjustment interval of variable debt interest rates, mimimum (in months) | 1 month |  |
Adjustment interval of variable debt interest rates, maximum (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) | 92,500,000 hiw_CommonUnitsOfPartnershipOwned / dei_LegalEntityAxis = us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember |  |
Percentage of ownership of Common Units | 96.90%hiw_CommonUnitsPercentageInvestmentOfPartnershipOwned / dei_LegalEntityAxis = us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember | 96.80%hiw_CommonUnitsPercentageInvestmentOfPartnershipOwned / dei_LegalEntityAxis = us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember |
Common units redeemed for a like number of common shares of stock (in shares) | 4,417 us-gaap_ConversionOfStockSharesConverted1 / dei_LegalEntityAxis = us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember |  |
Common Units redeemed for cash (in shares) | 2,500 us-gaap_PartnersCapitalAccountUnitsRedeemed / dei_LegalEntityAxis = us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember |  |
Redemptions of Common Units | 93 hiw_PaymentsforRedemptionofCommonUnits / dei_LegalEntityAxis = us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember | 0 hiw_PaymentsforRedemptionofCommonUnits / dei_LegalEntityAxis = us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember |
Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership [Member] |  |  |
Description of Business [Abstract] |  |  |
Common Units of partnership not owned by the Company (in shares) | 2,900,000 hiw_CommonUnitsOfPartnershipNotOwned / dei_LegalEntityAxis = us-gaap_SubsidiariesMember |  |
Redemptions of Common Units | $ 93 hiw_PaymentsforRedemptionofCommonUnits / dei_LegalEntityAxis = us-gaap_SubsidiariesMember | $ 0 hiw_PaymentsforRedemptionofCommonUnits / dei_LegalEntityAxis = us-gaap_SubsidiariesMember | $ 0 hiw_PaymentsforRedemptionofCommonUnits / dei_LegalEntityAxis = us-gaap_SubsidiariesMember

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- Definition Percentage of consolidated revenue deemed significant that is generated by any single customer in our wholly owned portfolio. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Minimum percent of annual REIT taxable income, excluding net capital gains, that is required to pay to stockholders to maintain qualification as a REIT. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Number of consolidated in-service office properties not wholly owned. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Number of trading days immediately preceding the redemption notice date used to calculate value. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The maximum percentage of ownership of common stock or equity participation in the investee accounted for under the equity method of accounting. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Useful life of long lived, physical assets used in the normal conduct of business and not intended for resale, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days. Examples include, but not limited to, land, buildings, machinery and equipment, office equipment, furniture and fixtures, and computer equipment. + References No definition available. + Details
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