
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
Kona SUV: The Courageous Minimized That is Catching Hearts Around the world - 2
Inside Plan with Houseplants: An Aide - 3
12 Once-In-A-Lifetime Travel Experiences To Add to Your Bucket List - 4
Step by step instructions to Keep up with Ideal Oral Cleanliness at Home - 5
Data centers in space: Will 2027 really be the year AI goes to orbit?
Verdicts against social media companies carry consequences. But questions linger
Cuba says 33 have died of mosquito-borne illnesses as epidemic rages
Meet the Artemis crew in NASA's first astronaut mission to the moon in more than a half-century
The moon up close: How the Artemis 2 astronauts are photographing their historic lunar flyby
Manual for 6 well known Amusement Park
Famous Rough terrain Vehicles for 2024
The capacity to understand people on a profound level: Exploring Life's Intricacies
5 Destinations Where Airfare Is Dropping The Most For Spring 2026, Per Dollar Flight Club Analysis
A top Marine shares his secrets to keeping fit at 50













