| **Nature of Operations (Policies)**                  | 9 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
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| **Accounting Policies [Abstract]**                   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
| Description of Business                              | The St. Joe Company together with its consolidated subsidiaries (the “Company”) is a real estate development and operating company with real estate assets and operations currently concentrated primarily between Tallahassee and Destin, Florida.  The Company conducts primarily all of its business in the following five reportable operating segments: 1) residential real estate, 2) commercial real estate, 3) resorts and leisure, 4) leasing operations and 5) forestry. In prior periods, the Company’s reportable operating segments were 1) residential real estate, 2) commercial real estate, 3) resorts, leisure and leasing operations and 4) forestry. The Company’s leasing operations segment currently meets the quantitative and qualitative factors as a reportable operating segment; therefore, the Company has changed its segment presentation to include leasing operations as a reportable operating segment. Leasing operations were historically included with the Company’s resorts, leisure and leasing operating segment. All prior year segment information has been reclassified to conform to the 2015 presentation. The change in reporting segments had no effect on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows for the periods presented. See Note 17, Segment Information.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| Basis of Presentation                                | Basis of PresentationThe accompanying unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for reporting on Form 10-Q. Accordingly, certain information and footnotes required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for complete financial statements are not included herein. The unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and all of its majority-owned and controlled subsidiaries and variable interest entities where the Company is the primary beneficiary. The equity method of accounting is used for investments in which the Company has significant influence, but not a controlling financial interest. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The December 31, 2014 balance sheet amounts have been derived from the Company’s December 31, 2014 audited consolidated financial statements.The statements reflect all normal recurring adjustments that, in the opinion of management, are necessary for fair presentation of the information contained herein. The interim condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014. The Company adheres to the same accounting policies in preparation of its unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements. As required under GAAP, interim accounting for certain expenses, including income taxes, are based on full year assumptions. For interim financial reporting purposes, income taxes are recorded based upon estimated annual income tax rates.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
| Recently Issued and Adopted Accounting Pronouncement | Recently Adopted Accounting PronouncementsDiscontinued operationsIn April 2014, the Financial Accounting Standard Board (“FASB”) issued an accounting standards update (“ASU”) that changes the criteria for reporting discontinued operations. Under the new guidance, only disposals representing a strategic shift in operations that have a major effect on the organization’s operations and financial results should be presented as discontinued operations. In addition, this ASU mandates expanded disclosures about the discontinued operation and requires disclosures about certain disposals that do not qualify as discontinued operations. This guidance is applied prospectively and the Company adopted it as of January 1, 2015. The adoption of this guidance had no impact on the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations, Balance Sheets or Statements of Cash Flows. Recently Issued Accounting PronouncementsRevenue recognitionIn May 2014, the FASB issued an ASU that establishes the principles used to recognize revenue for all entities. The new guidance will be effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017. Early application will be permitted, but not before annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that the adoption of this guidance will have on its financial position, results of operations and cash flows. The Company has not adopted this ASU as of September 30, 2015.ConsolidationIn February 2015, the FASB issued an ASU that amends the existing consolidation guidance related to (i) limited partnerships and similar legal entities, (ii) the evaluation of variable interests for fees paid to decision makers or service providers, (iii) the effect of fee arrangements and related parties on the primary beneficiary determination, and (iv) certain investment funds. These changes are expected to limit the number of consolidation models and place more emphasis on risk of loss when determining a controlling financial interest. The new guidance will be effective for the Company as of January 1, 2016. Early adoption is permitted, including early adoption in an interim period. The Company is evaluating the impact the adoption of this guidance will have on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements. The Company has not adopted this ASU as of September 30, 2015.Debt issuance costsIn April 2015, the FASB issued an ASU that requires debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability to be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. The amendment does not affect the recognition and measurement guidance for debt issuance costs. The new guidance should be applied on a retrospective basis and is effective for the Company as of January 1, 2016. Early adoption is permitted for financial statements that have not been previously issued. The Company does not expect that the adoption of this guidance will have a material impact on its financial position. The Company has not adopted this ASU as of September 30, 2015. |
| Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets          | The Company reviews its long-lived assets for impairment quarterly to determine whether events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable. Long-lived assets include the Company’s investments in operating and development property and property and equipment, net. As part of the Company’s review for impairment of its long-lived assets, the Company reviews each long-lived asset’s carrying value, current period actual financial results as compared to prior period and forecast contained in the Company’s business plan and any other event or changes in circumstances to identify whether an indicator of potential impairment may exist. Some of the events or changes in circumstances that are considered by the Company as indicators of potential impairment include:•a prolonged decrease in the fair value or demand for the Company’s properties;•a change in the expected use or development plans for the Company’s properties;•a material change in strategy that would affect the fair value of the Company’s properties;•continuing operating or cash flow losses for an operating property; •an accumulation of costs in excess of the projected costs for a development property; and•any other adverse change that may affect the fair value of the property.The Company uses varying methods to determine if an impairment exists, such as (i) considering indicators of potential impairment, (ii) analyzing expected future cash flows and comparing the expected future undiscounted cash flows of the property to its carrying value or (iii) determining market resale values.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
| Investments                                          | Investments consist of available-for-sale securities and are recorded at fair value, which is based on observable market inputs. Unrealized gains and temporary losses on investments, net of tax, are recorded in Other comprehensive (loss) income. Realized gains and losses are determined using the specific identification method. The amortized cost of debt securities are adjusted for amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts to maturity computed under the effective interest method. Such amortization is included in Investment income, net. In addition, at September 30, 2015, the Company had investments in short term commercial paper that are classified as cash equivalents, since they had maturity dates of ninety days or less from the date of purchase.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |

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Disclosure of accounting policy for basis of accounting, or basis of presentation, used to prepare the financial statements (for example, US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, Other Comprehensive Basis of Accounting, IFRS).
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Disclosure of accounting policy for recognizing and measuring the impairment of long-lived assets. An entity also may disclose its accounting policy for long-lived assets to be sold. This policy excludes goodwill and intangible assets.
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Disclosure of accounting policy for investments in financial assets, including marketable securities (debt and equity securities with readily determinable fair values), investments accounted for under the equity method and cost method, securities borrowed and loaned, and repurchase and resale agreements. For marketable securities, the disclosure may include the entity's accounting treatment for transfers between investment categories and how the fair values for such securities are determined. Also, for all investments, an entity may describe its policy for assessing, recognizing and measuring impairment of the investment.
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Disclosure of accounting policy pertaining to new accounting pronouncements that may impact the entity's financial reporting. Includes, but is not limited to, quantification of the expected or actual impact.
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