Investment in Real Estate - Real Estate by Property Type and Segment (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Real estate properties
Investment in real estate, net	$ 348,896	$ 332,624
Development property
Real estate properties
Investment in real estate, net	179,507	163,365
Development property \| Corporate/Other
Real estate properties
Investment in real estate, net	2,464	2,571
Development property \| Residential real estate \| Operating Segments
Real estate properties
Investment in real estate, net	103,384	100,279
Development property \| Resorts and leisure \| Operating Segments
Real estate properties
Investment in real estate, net	2,427	4,131
Development property \| Commercial leasing and sales \| Operating Segments
Real estate properties
Investment in real estate, net	69,086	53,896
Development property \| Forestry \| Operating Segments
Real estate properties
Investment in real estate, net	2,146	2,488
Operating property
Real estate properties
Investment in real estate	239,512	241,011
Less: Accumulated depreciation	70,123	71,752
Investment in real estate, net	169,389	169,259
Operating property \| Corporate/Other
Real estate properties
Investment in real estate	50	50
Operating property \| Residential real estate \| Operating Segments
Real estate properties
Investment in real estate	7,344	7,344
Operating property \| Resorts and leisure \| Operating Segments
Real estate properties
Investment in real estate	100,948	103,616
Operating property \| Commercial leasing and sales \| Operating Segments
Real estate properties
Investment in real estate	111,296	110,491
Operating property \| Forestry \| Operating Segments
Real estate properties
Investment in real estate	$ 19,874	$ 19,510

The cumulative amount of depreciation for real estate property held for investment purposes.

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-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

- Definition

Amount of real estate investment property 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://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-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_RealEstateInvestmentPropertyAtCost
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- 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://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-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

- 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

- Details

Name:	srt_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateDescriptionTypeOfPropertyAxis=joe_DevelopmentPropertyMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_ConsolidationItemsAxis=us-gaap_CorporateNonSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=joe_ResidentialRealEstateSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_ConsolidationItemsAxis=us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=joe_ResortsAndLeisureSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=joe_CommercialLeasingandSalesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=joe_ForestryMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateDescriptionTypeOfPropertyAxis=joe_OperatingPropertyMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: