Track Santa’s Whereabouts on Christmas Eve with NORAD’s Santa Tracker
Once again this year, children and families worldwide can track Santa’s whereabouts on Christmas Eve thanks to the Colorado-based North American Aerospace Defense Command, also known as NORAD.
Watch Santa’s Progress Live
In what’s become its own wildly popular tradition, NORAD’s Santa Tracker lets families watch Father Christmas in 3D as he transits the South Pacific, Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. You can watch our live stream in the video player above to track Santa’s progress this Christmas Eve.
From deep inside their headquarters, dozens of volunteers field an unrelenting wave of phone calls to 1-877-HI-NORAD (1-877-446-6723). They and other volunteers will answer such questions as “When will he come to my house? What kind of cookies does he like?” said program manager and NORAD spokesman Preston Schlachter.
Pentagon Press Secretary, Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, adds, “On Christmas Eve, NORAD has one additional special mission, tracking Santa as he makes his way across the globe. This is Norad’s 68th year conducting this important mission, and children and families worldwide will be able to call to ask NORAD’s live operators about Santa’s location on the 24th.”
How to Track Santa
To track Santa’s progress, you can visit www.noradsanta.org or check out #NORADTracksSanta and @NoradSanta on X. NORAD also offers associated apps for tracking Santa’s journey. For the latest updates, you can email noradtrackssanta@outlook.com.
The Origins of NORAD’s Santa Tracker
In 1955, Air Force Col. Harry Shoup, the on-duty commander at NORAD’s predecessor, the Continental Air Defense Command, answered a call from a child who dialed a misprinted number in an ad, thinking she was calling Santa. Shoup “answered the call, thought it was a prank at first, but then realized what had happened and assured the child that he was Santa, and thus started the tradition,” said NORAD spokesman Preston Schlachter.
NORAD’s mission is to watch the skies above North America for any potential threats. On Christmas Eve, the Santa operation begins when radar stations in northern Canada and Alaska pick up an infrared signature emanating from Rudolph’s nose. NORAD’s geostationary satellites above the Earth monitor Santa’s journey.
Volunteers at NORAD’s festively decorated command post at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs sit at tables equipped with telephones, garland, miniature Christmas trees, and plenty of caffeine-laden candy and coffee. “We Have the Watch” is NORAD’s military-mission motto.
And when it comes to Santa, NORAD adds: “Santa calls the shots. We just track him.”
The Associated Press and CNN contributed to this report.
