Santa Claus is getting ready for his yearly journey from the North Pole to homes all across the world on this Christmas Eve. Following decades of custom, the North American Aerospace Command, or NORAD, will once again use an official map that is regularly updated to display Santa’s current location as he makes his way to distribute gifts to children before Christmas 2024.
Since 1958, NORAD, the organization in charge of keeping an eye on and protecting the airspace over the United States and Canada, has kept tabs on Santa’s location annually. Before NORAD took control, the project was managed for three years by its predecessor, the Continental Air Defense Command.
As the tracker plots Santa’s path for Christmas, here are several things to be aware of.
Where is Santa at the moment?
As Santa continues his journey across the globe, NORAD updates its map in real time to reflect his current location. Check out NORAD’s website’s live map to track Santa’s progress, or subscribe to the agency’s Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube sites for sporadic updates throughout the day.
Santa will arrive at your house when?
The map cannot forecast when Santa will reach any particular home, even while the NORAD tracker shows where he is at various stages during his journey around the globe so you can see how far away Santa is from you. NORAD claims that while its intelligence enables the tracker to follow Saint Nick on his Christmas tour, it is unable to predict his itinerary or his next destination after he stops at one place.
“Only Santa knows his route, which means we cannot predict where and when he will arrive at your house,” NORAD states on its website. “We do, however, know from history that it appears he arrives only when children are asleep!”
Santa usually shows up at people’s houses between 9 p.m. and midnight on Christmas Eve, according to NORAD analysts.
What is the Santa tracker’s mechanism?
NORAD reports that the tracker uses satellites and radar technologies to monitor Santa, the same techniques the government uses to safeguard the skies over North America. The North American Warning System, its radar system, has 47 distinct checkpoints spread over Alaska and northern Canada.
“NORAD makes a point of checking the radar closely for indications of Santa Claus leaving the North Pole every holiday season,” according to its website. “The moment our radar tells us that Santa has lifted off, we begin to use the same satellites that we use in providing air warning of possible missile launches aimed at North America.”
The NORAD Tracks Santa Operations Center also provides updates to families over the phone. Simply dial 1-877-HI-NORAD (1-877-446-6723) to speak with a NORAD operator who can provide you with Santa’s precise location. On December 24, lines are open from 6 a.m. to midnight Eastern Time.
When NORAD‘s Santa tracker is operational, more than 1,250 uniformed troops from the US and Canada volunteer on Christmas Eve to take calls and respond to emails. The president and first lady have occasionally joined in to respond to calls, and civilians from the US Department of Defense also assist.
Could you elaborate on the Santa tracker?
Santa Claus typically embarks on his Christmas journey in the Pacific Ocean at the International Date Line before heading westward across the globe, according to NORAD. Stated differently, he often begins his journey by visiting regions of the South Pacific, followed by New Zealand, Australia, Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, Central America, and South America, in that order.
“Keep in mind, Santa’s route can be affected by the weather, so it’s really unpredictable,” says NORAD, who adds that it “coordinates with Santa’s Elf Launch Staff to confirm his launch time, but from that point on, Santa calls the shots.”
