| **Investment in Real Estate - Operating Property (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands** | 12 Months Ended |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------|
||
| **Real Estate Properties [Line Items]**                                               |            |   |   |
| Land and land improvements                                                            | $ 73,239        | $ 73,161 |   |
| Buildings and building improvements                                                   | 133,678         | 133,399 |   |
| Timber                                                                                | 10,203          | 9,856 |   |
| Operating property                                                                    | 217,120         | 216,416 |   |
| Less: Accumulated depreciation                                                        | 67,349          | 64,069 |   |
| Net operating property                                                                | 149,771         | 152,347 |   |
| Depletion                                                                             | $ 500           | $ 500 | $ 500 |
| Land and land improvements | Minimum                                                  |            |   |   |
| **Real Estate Properties [Line Items]**                                               |            |   |   |
| Estimated Useful Life (in years)                                                      | 5 years         |   |   |
| Land and land improvements | Maximum                                                  |            |   |   |
| **Real Estate Properties [Line Items]**                                               |            |   |   |
| Estimated Useful Life (in years)                                                      | 20 years        |   |   |
| Buildings and building improvements | Minimum                                         |            |   |   |
| **Real Estate Properties [Line Items]**                                               |            |   |   |
| Estimated Useful Life (in years)                                                      | 20 years        |   |   |
| Buildings and building improvements | Maximum                                         |            |   |   |
| **Real Estate Properties [Line Items]**                                               |            |   |   |
| Estimated Useful Life (in years)                                                      | 40 years        |   |   |

| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Income-Producing Depreciable Operating Property
+ References
No definition available.
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
joe_Income Producing Depreciable Operating Property, Net of Accumulated Depreciation
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**joe_Joe_IncomeProducingDepreciableOperatingPropertyNetofAccumulatedDepreciation**Namespace Prefix:**joe_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**debit**Period Type:**instant |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
The noncash expense charged against earnings to recognize the consumption of natural resources.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 28 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66902209&loc=d3e3602-108585
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Aggregate of the carrying amounts as of the balance sheet date of investments in building and building improvements.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 944 -SubTopic 210 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.1(d)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Amount before accumulated deprecation and depletion of real estate held for productive use and additions or improvements to real estate held for productive use, examples include, but are not limited to, walkways, driveways, fences, and parking lots. Excludes land held for sale.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28358313&loc=d3e6812-107765Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - 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.
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
The cumulative amount of depreciation for real estate property held for investment purposes.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 944 -SubTopic 210 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.1(3)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.
+ References
No definition available.
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Amount before accumulated depreciation and depletion of forest crops and land devoted primarily to the growth and harvest of forest crops for commercial purposes.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 360 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6391035&loc=d3e2868-110229
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| X                                                                                                                                                                         |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
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|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
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