| **Investment in Real Estate - Real Estate by Property Type and Segment (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands** | Dec. 31, 2016 | Dec. 31, 2015 |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------|---------------|
| **Real Estate Properties [Line Items]**                                                                     |          |          |
| Development property                                                                                        | $ 164,849     | $ 161,252     |
| Operating property                                                                                          | 217,120       | 216,416       |
| Less: Accumulated depreciation                                                                              | 67,349        | 64,069        |
| Net operating property                                                                                      | 149,771       | 152,347       |
| Investment in real estate, net                                                                              | 314,620       | 313,599       |
| Residential real estate                                                                                     |          |          |
| **Real Estate Properties [Line Items]**                                                                     |          |          |
| Development property                                                                                        | 101,292       | 99,413        |
| Operating property                                                                                          | 8,097         | 8,091         |
| Commercial real estate                                                                                      |          |          |
| **Real Estate Properties [Line Items]**                                                                     |          |          |
| Development property                                                                                        | 57,932        | 56,587        |
| Resorts and leisure                                                                                         |          |          |
| **Real Estate Properties [Line Items]**                                                                     |          |          |
| Development property                                                                                        | 263           | 0             |
| Operating property                                                                                          | 107,029       | 109,425       |
| Leasing operations                                                                                          |          |          |
| **Real Estate Properties [Line Items]**                                                                     |          |          |
| Development property                                                                                        | 432           | 360           |
| Operating property                                                                                          | 82,336        | 79,550        |
| Forestry                                                                                                    |          |          |
| **Real Estate Properties [Line Items]**                                                                     |          |          |
| Development property                                                                                        | 2,492         | 2,681         |
| Operating property                                                                                          | 19,608        | 19,300        |
| Corporate                                                                                                   |          |          |
| **Real Estate Properties [Line Items]**                                                                     |          |          |
| Development property                                                                                        | 2,438         | 2,211         |
| Other                                                                                                       |          |          |
| **Real Estate Properties [Line Items]**                                                                     |          |          |
| Operating property                                                                                          | $ 50          | $ 50          |

| 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
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                                                                                                                                                           |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
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| 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=us-gaap_CorporateMember**Namespace Prefix:****Data Type:**na**Balance Type:****Period Type:** |
| X                                                                                                                                                        |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
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