
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
The 10 Most Significant Virtual Entertainment Missions - 2
Presenting Nintendo's New Pastel Satisfaction Con Tones for Switch Gamers: 3 Upscale Choices - 3
Overlooked infertility care should be part of national health services, says WHO - 4
German finance minister sees advantages of smartphones in schools - 5
3 astronauts settle into their new life in orbit | On the International Space Station this week Dec. 1-5, 2025
Fireballs and a full moon. Here’s how to see two celestial events this week
What to expect from the planets in 2026 — key dates and sky events
Cyber Monday 2025: Save over 70% on HBO Max with this Prime Video streaming deal
Hundreds of Gazans evacuated from Strip for medical treatment - COGAT
Why are NASA's Artemis astronauts wearing orange? What are they bringing to space? What to know about the preparation for their moon mission.
Phonetic Associations: A Survey of \Interfacing Worldwide People group\ Language Trade Application
The Force of Systems administration: Individual Examples of overcoming adversity
From Certificate to Dollars: College Majors with Extraordinary Monetary Prizes
The Most Compelling Books of the 10 years













