
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
Architect Frank Gehry has died: See his most iconic buildings - 2
Astonishing Deserts All over The Planet You Really want To Visit - 3
Yes, NASA's launching Artemis 2 astronauts to the moon on April Fools' Day. It's not a joke. - 4
Israel faces tough choices over haredi draft exemptions, legal expert warns - 5
Nature carves colossal snowman in Siberia | Space photo of the day for Jan. 2, 2026
Turning into a Distributed Writer: My Composing Process
'Wicked: For Good' was filmed at this surreal National Park in Egypt
4 Excellent Remote Headphones of 2024
PA accuses Israel of 'human trafficking' after planeload of Gazans arrives in South Africa
Peloton recalls more than 800,000 bikes after broken seat posts injure users
Beyond the habitable zone: Exoplanet atmospheres are the next clue to finding life on planets orbiting distant stars
Winter storm warnings issued across Northeast as up to 9 inches of snow forecast; deadly atmospheric river in California snarls travel
Allow Innovative Progressions To have a Tremendous Effect
The Significance of Health Projects in Senior Protection.











