A novel soybean cultivar designated J604217 with high yield potential, late Group 1 maturity, and resistance to races 3 and 14 of Soybean Cyst Nematode, further including the plants and seeds of the cultivar J604217, and methods for producing a soybean plant by crossing the cultivar J604217 with itself or another soybean plant. The invention also relates to soybean cultivar J604217 further comprising one or more single gene traits, and to methods of producing a soybean having such traits by transformation or mutagenesis. The invention also includes using the soybean cultivar J604217 to produce other soybean cultivars or breeding lines.