| **Investment in Real Estate - Real Estate by Property Type and Segment (Details) - USD ($)** | 3 Months Ended | 6 Months Ended |               |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------|----------------|---------------|
||
| **Real Estate Properties [Line Items]**                                                      |           |           |          |   |   |
| Development property                                                                         | $ 159,427,000  |           | $ 159,427,000 |   | $ 161,252,000 |
| Operating property                                                                           | 217,905,000    |           | 217,905,000   |   | 216,416,000 |
| Less: Accumulated depreciation                                                               | 67,090,000     |           | 67,090,000    |   | 64,069,000 |
| Total operating property, net                                                                | 150,815,000    |           | 150,815,000   |   | 152,347,000 |
| Investment in real estate, net                                                               | 310,242,000    |           | 310,242,000   |   | 313,599,000 |
| Capitalized indirect costs incurred                                                          | 0              | $ 100,000      | 0             | $ 100,000.0 |   |
| Residential real estate                                                                      |           |           |          |   |   |
| **Real Estate Properties [Line Items]**                                                      |           |           |          |   |   |
| Development property                                                                         | 96,731,000     |           | 96,731,000    |   | 99,413,000 |
| Operating property                                                                           | 8,091,000      |           | 8,091,000     |   | 8,091,000 |
| Commercial real estate                                                                       |           |           |          |   |   |
| **Real Estate Properties [Line Items]**                                                      |           |           |          |   |   |
| Development property                                                                         | 56,586,000     |           | 56,586,000    |   | 56,587,000 |
| Resorts and leisure                                                                          |           |           |          |   |   |
| **Real Estate Properties [Line Items]**                                                      |           |           |          |   |   |
| Operating property                                                                           | 109,556,000    |           | 109,556,000   |   | 109,425,000 |
| Leasing operations                                                                           |           |           |          |   |   |
| **Real Estate Properties [Line Items]**                                                      |           |           |          |   |   |
| Development property                                                                         | 1,120,000      |           | 1,120,000     |   | 360,000 |
| Operating property                                                                           | 81,024,000     |           | 81,024,000    |   | 79,550,000 |
| Forestry                                                                                     |           |           |          |   |   |
| **Real Estate Properties [Line Items]**                                                      |           |           |          |   |   |
| Development property                                                                         | 2,606,000      |           | 2,606,000     |   | 2,681,000 |
| Operating property                                                                           | 19,184,000     |           | 19,184,000    |   | 19,300,000 |
| Other                                                                                        |           |           |          |   |   |
| **Real Estate Properties [Line Items]**                                                      |           |           |          |   |   |
| Operating property                                                                           | 50,000         |           | 50,000        |   | 50,000 |
| Corporate                                                                                    |           |           |          |   |   |
| **Real Estate Properties [Line Items]**                                                      |           |           |          |   |   |
| Development property                                                                         | $ 2,384,000    |           | $ 2,384,000   |   | $ 2,211,000 |

| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Income-Producing Depreciable Operating Property
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**joe_IncomeProducingDepreciableOperatingProperty**Namespace Prefix:**joe_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**debit**Period Type:**instant |
| 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
Real Estate Inventory, Capitalized Indirect Costs Incurred
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**joe_RealEstateInventoryCapitalizedIndirectCostsIncurred**Namespace Prefix:**joe_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**debit**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
The current amount of expenditures for a real estate project that has not yet been completed.
+ 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 210.7-03.10) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Glossary Phase -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49177889
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_DevelopmentInProcess**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**debit**Period Type:**instant |
| 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
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_RealEstateInvestmentPropertyAccumulatedDepreciation**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**credit**Period Type:**instant |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Amount of real estate investment property, net of accumulated depreciation, which may include the following: (1) land available-for-sale; (2) land available-for-development; (3) investments in building and building improvements; (4) tenant allowances; (5) developments in-process; (6) rental properties; and (7) other real estate investments.
+ 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
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_RealEstateInvestmentPropertyNet**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**debit**Period Type:**instant |
| 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.
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_RealEstatePropertiesLineItems**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:stringItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                           |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_ResidentialRealEstateMember**Namespace Prefix:****Data Type:**na**Balance Type:****Period Type:** |
| X                                                                                                                                                          |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_CommercialRealEstateMember**Namespace Prefix:****Data Type:**na**Balance Type:****Period Type:** |
| X                                                                                                                                                             |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=joe_ResortsLeisureAndOperationsMember**Namespace Prefix:****Data Type:**na**Balance Type:****Period Type:** |
| X                                                                                                                                                   |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=joe_LeasingOperationsMember**Namespace Prefix:****Data Type:**na**Balance Type:****Period Type:** |
| X                                                                                                                                          |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=joe_ForestryMember**Namespace Prefix:****Data Type:**na**Balance Type:****Period Type:** |
| X                                                                                                                                                        |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=joe_OtherRealEstateSegmentMember**Namespace Prefix:****Data Type:**na**Balance Type:****Period Type:** |
| X                                                                                                                                               |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_CorporateMember**Namespace Prefix:****Data Type:**na**Balance Type:****Period Type:** |