| **Property and Equipment, net (Detail) (USD $)**                       | 12 Months Ended                                                                                                                              |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
||
| **Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]**                         |                                                                                                                                         |   |   |
| Property and equipment, gross                                          | $ 69,835,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross                                                                                           | $ 73,095,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross |   |
| Less: Accumulated depreciation                                         | 60,284,000us-gaap_AccumulatedDepreciationDepletionAndAmortizationPropertyPlantAndEquipment                                                   | 62,206,000us-gaap_AccumulatedDepreciationDepletionAndAmortizationPropertyPlantAndEquipment |   |
| Property, plant and equipment, excluding construction in progress, net | 9,551,000joe_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentExcludingConstructionInProgressNet                                                                     | 10,889,000joe_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentExcludingConstructionInProgressNet |   |
| Construction in progress                                               | 652,000us-gaap_ConstructionInProgressGross                                                                                                   | 521,000us-gaap_ConstructionInProgressGross |   |
| Total                                                                  | 10,203,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet                                                                                               | 11,410,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet |   |
| Depreciation expense                                                   | 2,200,000us-gaap_Depreciation                                                                                                                | 2,500,000us-gaap_Depreciation | 2,400,000us-gaap_Depreciation |
| Minimum                                                                |                                                                                                                                         |   |   |
| **Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]**                         |                                                                                                                                         |   |   |
| Estimated Useful Life (in years)                                       | 3 years                                                                                                                                      |   |   |
| Maximum                                                                |                                                                                                                                         |   |   |
| **Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]**                         |                                                                                                                                         |   |   |
| Estimated Useful Life (in years)                                       | 30 years                                                                                                                                     |   |   |
| Railroad and equipment                                                 |                                                                                                                                         |   |   |
| **Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]**                         |                                                                                                                                         |   |   |
| Property and equipment, gross                                          | 33,627,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis= us-gaap_RailroadTransportationEquipmentMember | 33,627,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis= us-gaap_RailroadTransportationEquipmentMember |   |
| Railroad and equipment | Minimum                                       |                                                                                                                                         |   |   |
| **Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]**                         |                                                                                                                                         |   |   |
| Estimated Useful Life (in years)                                       | 15 years                                                                                                                                     |   |   |
| Railroad and equipment | Maximum                                       |                                                                                                                                         |   |   |
| **Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]**                         |                                                                                                                                         |   |   |
| Estimated Useful Life (in years)                                       | 30 years                                                                                                                                     |   |   |
| Machinery and equipment                                                |                                                                                                                                         |   |   |
| **Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]**                         |                                                                                                                                         |   |   |
| Property and equipment, gross                                          | 16,498,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis= us-gaap_MachineryAndEquipmentMember           | 18,714,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis= us-gaap_MachineryAndEquipmentMember |   |
| Machinery and equipment | Minimum                                      |                                                                                                                                         |   |   |
| **Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]**                         |                                                                                                                                         |   |   |
| Estimated Useful Life (in years)                                       | 3 years                                                                                                                                      |   |   |
| Machinery and equipment | Maximum                                      |                                                                                                                                         |   |   |
| **Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]**                         |                                                                                                                                         |   |   |
| Estimated Useful Life (in years)                                       | 10 years                                                                                                                                     |   |   |
| Office equipment                                                       |                                                                                                                                         |   |   |
| **Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]**                         |                                                                                                                                         |   |   |
| Property and equipment, gross                                          | 18,844,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis= us-gaap_EquipmentMember                       | 19,154,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis= us-gaap_EquipmentMember |   |
| Office equipment | Minimum                                             |                                                                                                                                         |   |   |
| **Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]**                         |                                                                                                                                         |   |   |
| Estimated Useful Life (in years)                                       | 3 years                                                                                                                                      |   |   |
| Office equipment | Maximum                                             |                                                                                                                                         |   |   |
| **Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]**                         |                                                                                                                                         |   |   |
| Estimated Useful Life (in years)                                       | 10 years                                                                                                                                     |   |   |
| Autos and trucks                                                       |                                                                                                                                         |   |   |
| **Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]**                         |                                                                                                                                         |   |   |
| Property and equipment, gross                                          | $ 866,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis= joe_AutosAndTrucksMember                       | $ 1,600,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis= joe_AutosAndTrucksMember |   |
| Autos and trucks | Minimum                                             |                                                                                                                                         |   |   |
| **Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]**                         |                                                                                                                                         |   |   |
| Estimated Useful Life (in years)                                       | 3 years                                                                                                                                      |   |   |
| Autos and trucks | Maximum                                             |                                                                                                                                         |   |   |
| **Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]**                         |                                                                                                                                         |   |   |
| Estimated Useful Life (in years)                                       | 10 years                                                                                                                                     |   |   |

| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Property, plant and equipment, excluding construction in progress, net.
+ References
No definition available.
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Amount of accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization for physical assets used in the normal conduct of business to produce goods and services.
+ References
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Amount of structure or a modification to a structure under construction. Includes recently completed structures or modifications to structures that have not been placed into service.
+ 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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
The amount of expense recognized in the current period that reflects the allocation of the cost of tangible assets over the assets' useful lives. Includes production and non-production related depreciation.
+ References
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Amount before accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization of physical assets used in the normal conduct of business and not intended for resale. Examples include, but are not limited to, land, buildings, machinery and equipment, office equipment, and furniture and fixtures.
+ References
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| X                                                                                                                                                                      |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
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|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Amount after accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization of physical assets used in the normal conduct of business to produce goods and services and not intended for resale. Examples include, but are not limited to, land, buildings, machinery and equipment, office equipment, and furniture and fixtures.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 360 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6391035&loc=d3e2868-110229Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.13) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 02 -Paragraph 13 -Subparagraph a -Article 5Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 03 -Paragraph 8 -Article 7
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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                                                                                                                                                            |
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| X                                                                                                                                                           |
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| X                                                                                                                                                                       |
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
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| X                                                                                                                               |
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| X                                                                                                                               |
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