Nature Of Operations	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Nature Of Operations [Abstract]
Nature Of Operations	1. Nature of Operations The St. Joe Company (the "Company") is a real estate development company primarily engaged in residential, commercial and industrial development and rural land sales in Northwest Florida. The Company also has significant interests in timber. Most of its real estate operations, as well as its timber operations, are within the State of Florida. Consequently, the Company's performance particularly that of its real estate operations is significantly affected by the general health of the Florida economy. During 2009, the Company sold non-strategic assets including its Victoria Park community, which consisted of homesites, homes, undeveloped land, notes receivable and a golf course, St. Johns Golf and Country Club golf course and its SevenShores condominium and marina development project. The Company also sold its remaining inventory and equipment assets related to its cypress sawmill and mulch plant, Sunshine State Cypress, Inc. during 2009, which assets and liabilities were classified as held for sale at December 31, 2008. Certain operating results associated with these entities have been classified as discontinued operations for all periods presented through the period in which they were sold. See Note 4, Discontinued Operations. The Company currently conducts primarily all of its business in four reportable operating segments: residential real estate, commercial real estate, rural land sales and forestry. *Real Estate* The residential real estate segment typically plans and develops mixed-use resort, primary and seasonal residential communities of various sizes primarily on its existing land. The Company owns large tracts of land in Northwest Florida, including large tracts near Tallahassee and Panama City, and significant Gulf of Mexico beach frontage and waterfront properties. The commercial real estate segment plans, develops and entitles our land holdings for a broad portfolio of retail, multi-family, office, hotel, industrial uses and rental income. The Company develops, sells or leases commercial land and provides development opportunities for national and regional commercial retailers and strategic partners in Northwest Florida. The Company also offers for sale land for commercial and light industrial uses within large and small-scale commerce parks, as well as for a wide range of multi-family residential rental projects. The rural land sales segment markets and sells tracts of land of varying sizes for rural recreational, conservation, residential and timberland uses located primarily in Northwest Florida. The rural land sales segment at times prepares land for sale for these uses through harvesting, thinning and other silviculture practices, and in some cases, limited development activity including improved roads, ponds and fencing. The Company also sells wetland mitigation credits to developers from its wetland mitigation banks, and sells easements for utility and road right of ways. *Forestry* The forestry segment focuses on the management and harvesting of the Company's extensive timber holdings, as well as on the ongoing management of lands which may ultimately be used by other divisions of the Company. The Company believes it is one of the largest private owners of land in Florida, most of which is currently managed as timberland. The principal products of the Company's forestry operations are pine pulpwood, sawtimber and forest products and also provides conservation land management services. Approximately one-half of the wood harvested by the Company is sold under a long-term pulpwood supply agreement with RockTenn, which recently acquired Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation. The agreement, which expires on December 31, 2017, provides for the sale of approximately 3.9 million tons of pulpwood over the term of the contract, with specified yearly obligated volumes. The supply agreement is assignable by the company in whole or in part, to purchasers of its properties or any interest therein. The supply agreement does not contain a lien, encumbrance or use restriction on any of the Company's properties.

1. Nature of Operations

The St. Joe Company (the "Company") is a real estate development company primarily engaged in residential, commercial and industrial development and rural land sales in Northwest Florida. The Company also has significant interests in timber. Most of its real estate operations, as well as its timber operations, are within the State of Florida. Consequently, the Company's performance particularly that of its real estate operations is significantly affected by the general health of the Florida economy.

During 2009, the Company sold non-strategic assets including its Victoria Park community, which consisted of homesites, homes, undeveloped land, notes receivable and a golf course, St. Johns Golf and Country Club golf course and its SevenShores condominium and marina development project. The Company also sold its remaining inventory and equipment assets related to its cypress sawmill and mulch plant, Sunshine State Cypress, Inc. during 2009, which assets and liabilities were classified as held for sale at December 31, 2008. Certain operating results associated with these entities have been classified as discontinued operations for all periods presented through the period in which they were sold. See Note 4, Discontinued Operations.

The Company currently conducts primarily all of its business in four reportable operating segments: residential real estate, commercial real estate, rural land sales and forestry.

Real Estate

The residential real estate segment typically plans and develops mixed-use resort, primary and seasonal residential communities of various sizes primarily on its existing land. The Company owns large tracts of land in Northwest Florida, including large tracts near Tallahassee and Panama City, and significant Gulf of Mexico beach frontage and waterfront properties.

The commercial real estate segment plans, develops and entitles our land holdings for a broad portfolio of retail, multi-family, office, hotel, industrial uses and rental income. The Company develops, sells or leases commercial land and provides development opportunities for national and regional commercial retailers and strategic partners in Northwest Florida. The Company also offers for sale land for commercial and light industrial uses within large and small-scale commerce parks, as well as for a wide range of multi-family residential rental projects.

The rural land sales segment markets and sells tracts of land of varying sizes for rural recreational, conservation, residential and timberland uses located primarily in Northwest Florida. The rural land sales segment at times prepares land for sale for these uses through harvesting, thinning and other silviculture practices, and in some cases, limited development activity including improved roads, ponds and fencing. The Company also sells wetland mitigation credits to developers from its wetland mitigation banks, and sells easements for utility and road right of ways.

Forestry

The forestry segment focuses on the management and harvesting of the Company's extensive timber holdings, as well as on the ongoing management of lands which may ultimately be used by other divisions of the Company. The Company believes it is one of the largest private owners of land in Florida, most of which is currently managed as timberland. The principal products of the Company's forestry operations are pine pulpwood, sawtimber and forest products and also provides conservation land management services.

Approximately one-half of the wood harvested by the Company is sold under a long-term pulpwood supply agreement with RockTenn, which recently acquired Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation. The agreement, which expires on December 31, 2017, provides for the sale of approximately 3.9 million tons of pulpwood over the term of the contract, with specified yearly obligated volumes. The supply agreement is assignable by the company in whole or in part, to purchasers of its properties or any interest therein. The supply agreement does not contain a lien, encumbrance or use restriction on any of the Company's properties.