
It’s back! In what has become an annual ritual for millions on Christmas Eve, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, is tracking Santa Claus’s journey from the North Pole to deliver gifts to children across the globe.
NORAD’s Santa Claus tracker website — NORADSanta.org — includes a map that allows users to track Santa’s location in real time. The site attracts tens of millions of visitors every year.
Beginning at midnight on Christmas Eve, the site utilizes satellite mapping technology and digital animation to simulate the route of Santa’s reindeer and sleigh.
The tracker also features a live count of gifts delivered by Jolly Old St. Nick. At the time of this publication, that figure was more than 1.3 billion.
NORAD’s history of tracking Santa
The practice began in 1955 when a child accidentally called the unlisted number of what was then the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center, asking for Santa Claus.
Not wanting to disappoint the young caller, Air Force Col. Harry Shoup, the command center’s director of operations, “instructed his staff to check the radar for indications of Santa making his way south from the North Pole,” according to NORAD. Each year since, NORAD has dutifully reported Santa’s location on Dec. 24 to millions of children and families.
The binational military organization, based in Colorado Springs, Colo., eventually enlisted volunteers to answer a dedicated phone line to give updates on Santa’s whereabouts. In recent years, those volunteers have included pop stars, presidents and first ladies.
And the hotline still exists: You can call 877-HI-NORAD (877-446-6723) to reach one of the call center’s operators. (President Trump is scheduled to field NORAD Santa calls from Palm Beach, Fla., on Wednesday afternoon.) Last Christmas Eve, it logged more than 300,000 calls.
Just don’t ask when Santa will arrive at your house.
“NORAD tracks Santa, but only Santa knows his route, which means we cannot predict where and when he will arrive at your house,” the organization explains on its FAQ page. “We do, however, know from history that it appears he arrives only when children are asleep!”
LATEST POSTS
- 1
75% of US adults may meet criteria for obesity under new definition, study finds - 2
Step by step instructions to Prepare with Senior Protection for Inward feeling of harmony. - 3
Tyler Childers' 'Snipe Hunt' 2026 Tour: How to get tickets, presale times, prices and more - 4
Two more UN peacekeepers killed in southern Lebanon: UNIFIL - 5
Wegmans recalls mixed nuts over salmonella contamination fears
3 astronauts settle into their new life in orbit | On the International Space Station this week Dec. 1-5, 2025
IndiGo lands IATA chief Willie Walsh as new CEO
Manual for Famous people Known for Their Altruistic Endeavors
Going on a bad date is a drag. Worse? Ending up as a cautionary tale on TikTok.
Figure out How to Assess the Unwavering quality of SUVs for Seniors
Boats escort freed whale away from shallow waters off German coast
Farewell, comet 3I/ATLAS! Interstellar visitor heads for the outer solar system after its closest approach to Earth
Volcanic eruption led to the Black Death, new research suggests
Aspirin can prevent a serious pregnancy complication — but too few women get it, new report suggests













