Key Takeaways
- The NORAD Santa Tracker has been a holiday tradition for 70 years, starting in 1955.
- The tracker allows users to follow Santa’s journey on Christmas Eve via the NORAD website, mobile apps, social media, and by phone.
- The tradition began when a child accidentally called the unlisted number of CONAD (Continental Air Defense Command), now NORAD Command, after seeing an ad in the local newspaper.
- The NORAD Tracks Santa website features a holiday countdown, games, a movie theater, holiday music, an online store, and more.
- Users can also track Santa on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), Instagram, and YouTube, and through the official NORAD Tracks Santa app.
Introduction to the NORAD Santa Tracker
The NORAD Santa Tracker has been a beloved holiday tradition for 70 years, starting in 1955. The tracker allows users to follow Santa’s journey on Christmas Eve, providing a fun and exciting way for children and adults alike to get into the holiday spirit. The tradition began when a child accidentally called the unlisted number of CONAD (Continental Air Defense Command), now NORAD Command, after seeing an ad in the local newspaper. The operations center director, Col. Harry Shoup, assured the child that Santa Claus would arrive at his destinations safely, and thus began the tradition of tracking Santa’s flight around the world.
The History of the NORAD Santa Tracker
The NORAD Santa Tracker has a rich history that dates back to 1955. The tradition began when a child accidentally called the unlisted number of CONAD (Continental Air Defense Command), now NORAD Command, after seeing an ad in the local newspaper. Col. Harry Shoup, the operations center director, took the call and assured the child that Santa Claus would arrive at his destinations safely. Throughout the night, Shoup had his operator report Santa’s location to every child that called in, and thus began the tradition of tracking Santa’s flight around the world. Over the years, the NORAD Santa Tracker has evolved to include new technologies and features, but the core idea remains the same: to provide a fun and exciting way for children and adults to track Santa’s journey on Christmas Eve.
Tracking Santa with NORAD
The NORAD Tracks Santa website launched on December 1, 2025, featuring Santa’s North Pole Village. The website features a holiday countdown, games, a movie theater, holiday music, an online store, and more. It’s available in multiple languages, including English, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish. Users can also track Santa on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), Instagram, and YouTube, and through the official NORAD Tracks Santa app. On Christmas Eve, trackers worldwide can call 1-877-HI-NORAD to speak with live operators for Santa’s location from 6 a.m. to midnight MST. The website will also feature Santa’s flight from 4 a.m. to midnight MST, and if callers cannot reach a live volunteer, a recorded update on Santa’s location will be available on the website.
Alternative Ways to Track Santa
In addition to the NORAD website and mobile apps, users can also track Santa through other platforms. The NORAD Santa tracker works on Amazon Alexa devices, with 9.7 million utterances of the NORAD Santa tracker on Amazon Alexa from November 25, 2022, to January 1, 2023. Users can ask Alexa to track Santa by saying "Alexa, where is Santa?" The NORAD Santa tracker also works on OnStar, with 12,000 requests to locate Santa via the NORAD Santa tracker system on OnStar from November 25, 2022, to January 1, 2023. Google also operates a Santa tracker, which debuted in 2004 and features a countdown clock to Santa’s arrival, along with online holiday games and educational activities for children of various ages.
The Logistics of Santa’s Journey
While the idea of Santa delivering presents to millions of children in one night may seem magical, it’s interesting to consider the logistics of his journey. According to a Forbes piece from 2018, experts did the math and found that with 500 million households to visit and 42 hours to do it in, Santa has a total of just 300 microseconds (0.0003 seconds) to accomplish everything he needs to accomplish per household. This means that Santa would have to travel at an incredible speed to deliver all of his presents in time. While the exact details of Santa’s journey are unknown, it’s clear that he must have some kind of magical or technological assistance to make his deliveries on time.
Conclusion
The NORAD Santa Tracker is a beloved holiday tradition that has been delighting children and adults for 70 years. With its rich history, fun features, and ability to track Santa’s journey in real-time, it’s no wonder that the NORAD Santa Tracker has become a staple of the holiday season. Whether you’re tracking Santa on the NORAD website, mobile apps, or through other platforms, there’s no denying the magic and excitement of following his journey on Christmas Eve. So why not join in on the fun and track Santa’s journey this year? With the NORAD Santa Tracker, you can experience the thrill of the holiday season in a whole new way.