| **Income Taxes - Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities (Details) (USD $)In Thousands, unless otherwise specified** | Dec. 31, 2014                                                                         | Dec. 31, 2013                                                                         |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| **Deferred tax assets:**                                                                                         |                                                                                  |                                                                                  |
| Federal net operating carryforwards                                                                              | $ 0us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwardsDomestic                        | $ 26,884us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwardsDomestic                   |
| State net operating loss carryforwards                                                                           | 11,336us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwardsStateAndLocal                | 20,759us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwardsStateAndLocal                |
| Impairment losses                                                                                                | 116,451us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxDeferredExpenseReservesAndAccrualsImpairmentLosses | 151,050us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxDeferredExpenseReservesAndAccrualsImpairmentLosses |
| Prepaid income from land sales                                                                                   | 5,507joe_PrepaidIncomeOnLandSales                                                     | 10,210joe_PrepaidIncomeOnLandSales                                                    |
| Other                                                                                                            | 1,398us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxDeferredExpenseReservesAndAccrualsOther              | 4,697us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxDeferredExpenseReservesAndAccrualsOther              |
| Total gross deferred tax assets                                                                                  | 134,692us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsGross                                                 | 213,600us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsGross                                                 |
| Valuation allowance                                                                                              | (6,176)us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance                                    | (93,058)us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance                                   |
| Total net deferred tax assets                                                                                    | 128,516us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsNet                                                   | 120,542us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsNet                                                   |
| **Deferred tax liabilities:**                                                                                    |                                                                                  |                                                                                  |
| Investment in real estate and property and equipment basis differences                                           | 2,484us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesPropertyPlantAndEquipment                          | 1,726us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesPropertyPlantAndEquipment                          |
| Deferred gain on land sales and involuntary conversions                                                          | 31,574joe_DeferredGainOnLandSalesAndInvoluntaryConversions                            | 31,385joe_DeferredGainOnLandSalesAndInvoluntaryConversions                            |
| Installment sale                                                                                                 | 126,225joe_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesInstallmentSale                                      | 58,969joe_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesInstallmentSale                                       |
| Pension Plan assets transferred to the 401(k) Plan                                                               | 3,057joe_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesforFutureCompany401kPlanContributions                  | 0joe_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesforFutureCompany401kPlanContributions                      |
| Prepaid pension asset                                                                                            | 0us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesPrepaidExpenses                                        | 15,596us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesPrepaidExpenses                                   |
| Total gross deferred tax liabilities                                                                             | 163,340joe_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesGross                                                | 107,676joe_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesGross                                                |
| Net deferred tax (liability) asset                                                                               | $ (34,824)us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsLiabilitiesNet                                     | $ 12,866us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsLiabilitiesNet                                       |

| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Deferred gain on land sales and involuntary conversions.
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Deferred Tax Liabilities for Future Company 401(k) Plan Contributions
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
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| - Definition
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Gross
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Prepaid income on land sales.
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Amount before allocation of valuation allowances of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible temporary differences and carryforwards.
+ References
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| - Definition
Amount after allocation of valuation allowances of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible temporary differences and carryforwards, net of deferred tax liability attributable to taxable temporary differences.
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| - Definition
Amount after allocation of valuation allowances of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible temporary differences and carryforwards.
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|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Amount before allocation of valuation allowances of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible domestic operating loss carryforwards. Excludes state and local operating loss carryforwards.
+ References
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| - Definition
Amount before allocation of valuation allowances of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible state and local operating loss carryforwards.
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| - Definition
Amount before allocation of valuation allowances of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible temporary differences from estimated impairment losses.
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| - Definition
Amount before allocation of valuation allowances of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible temporary differences from other reserves and accruals not separately disclosed.
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| - Definition
Amount of deferred tax assets for which it is more likely than not that a tax benefit will not be realized.
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| - Definition
Amount of deferred tax consequences attributable to taxable temporary differences derived from prepaid expenses.
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|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Amount of deferred tax liability attributable to taxable temporary differences from property, plant, and equipment.
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