
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
One perk to marrying Richard Marx later in life? 'We don't have time' for stupid arguments, says Daisy Fuentes. - 2
Manual for 6 Hot Brilliant Beds - 3
VPN Administrations for Online Protection - 4
NASA astronauts to return from space early due to an 'unexpected medical issue.' What happened — and when are they coming home? - 5
Audits of 6 European Busssiness Class Flights
Vote in favor of your #1 Kind of Cap
Huge rotating structure of galaxies and dark matter is detected
'The Beast in Me' arrives on Netflix: Is it based on a true story? And what drew Claire Danes to it? What to know about the thriller series.
What loving-kindness meditation is and how to practice it in the new year
Figure out How to Advance Space in Your Pre-assembled Home for Upgraded Usefulness
Tanzania president remorseful over internet shutdown on election day
My skin feels drier, my lips thinner and my makeup heavier. How do I adjust my routine for aging skin?
The best overlooked performances of 2025
Instructions to Augment the Presentation of Your Kona SUV












