<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2016-01-14</periodOfReport>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000729237</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>PARKWAY PROPERTIES INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>PKY</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001532644</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Lipsey M. Jayson</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>390 NORTH ORANGE AVENUE</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>SUITE 2400</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>ORLANDO</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>FL</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>32801</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>EVP, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2016-01-14</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>F</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>220</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>13.78</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>89618</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">On January 14, 2016, 675 incentive restricted shares vested, and the Reporting Person instructed the Company to withhold 220 shares to cover tax withholding obligations as permitted under the Company's 2010 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan, as amended.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Includes an additional 440 shares acquired by the Reporting Person's participation in the Company's Employee Stock Purchase Plan and as a result of the reinvestment of dividends pursuant to the Company's Employee Stock Purchase Plan and the Company's Dividend Reinvestment Plan. These transactions are exempt from Section 16(a) of the Securities and Exchange Act pursuant to Rule 16a-3(f)(1)(i)(B) and Rule 16a-11, respectively.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">This Form 4 corrects a scrivener's error originally made in the Reporting Person's Form 4 that was filed on July 1, 2014, which understated his total common stock holdings by 30 shares.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Jeremy Dorsett, on behalf of M. Jayson Lipsey as Attorney-in-Fact</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2016-01-19</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
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X0306
4
2016-01-14
0000729237
PARKWAY PROPERTIES INC
PKY
0001532644
Lipsey M. Jayson
390 NORTH ORANGE AVENUE
SUITE 2400
ORLANDO
FL
32801
0
1
0
0
EVP, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Common Stock
2016-01-14
4
F
0
220
13.78
D
89618
D
On January 14, 2016, 675 incentive restricted shares vested, and the Reporting Person instructed the Company to withhold 220 shares to cover tax withholding obligations as permitted under the Company's 2010 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan, as amended.
Includes an additional 440 shares acquired by the Reporting Person's participation in the Company's Employee Stock Purchase Plan and as a result of the reinvestment of dividends pursuant to the Company's Employee Stock Purchase Plan and the Company's Dividend Reinvestment Plan. These transactions are exempt from Section 16(a) of the Securities and Exchange Act pursuant to Rule 16a-3(f)(1)(i)(B) and Rule 16a-11, respectively.
This Form 4 corrects a scrivener's error originally made in the Reporting Person's Form 4 that was filed on July 1, 2014, which understated his total common stock holdings by 30 shares.
/s/ Jeremy Dorsett, on behalf of M. Jayson Lipsey as Attorney-in-Fact
2016-01-19