It’s Christmas Eve, and Santa is getting dressed for its annual journey from the North Pole to homes around the world. In keeping with decades of tradition, the North American Aerospace Command, or NORAD, will do it again follow Santa’s journey to deliver gifts to children before Christmas 2024, using an official map that is constantly updated to show where you are right now.
NORAD, the agency charged with overseeing and defending the airspace of the United States and Canada, has tracked Santa’s whereabouts every year since 1958. Its predecessor, the Continental Air Defense Command, managed the project for three years before NORAD took over.
Here’s what to know as the tracker charts Santa’s journey this Christmas.
Where is Santa right now?
NORAD updates its map in real time to show Santa’s current location on his flight around the world. Monitor Santa’s progress on the live map on the NORAD websiteor follow the occasional updates throughout the day at the agency Facebook, X, Instagram i YouTube pages
When will Santa be at your house?
While NORAD’s tracker reflects where Santa is at various points along his route around the world, so you can see how far Santa is from you, the map cannot predict when he will arrive at any home. NORAD says its information allows the tracker to follow Saint Nick along his Christmas journey, but it can’t predict his route or where he’ll travel next once he’s stopped somewhere.
“Only Santa knows his route, which means we cannot predict where and when he will arrive at your home,” NORAD writes on its website. “However, we know from history that it only seems to come when the children are asleep!”
According to NORAD experts, Santa Claus typically arrives at individual homes between 9:00 PM and midnight on Christmas Eve.
How does the Santa tracker work?
The tracker relies on radar and satellite technology to track Santa, according to NORAD, which notes that these methods are the same the agency uses to protect the skies of North America. Its radar system, called the North American Warning System, includes 47 different control points in northern Canada and Alaska.
“NORAD is tasked with closely checking radar for signs of Santa leaving the North Pole each holiday season,” its website explains. “The moment our radar tells us that Santa Claus has taken off, we start using the same satellites we use for aerial warning of potential missile launches aimed at North America.”
Families can also receive updates by phone from the NORAD Tracks Santa Operations Center, just call 1-877-HI-NORAD (1-877-446-6723) to speak with a NORAD operator who can tell you Santa’s exact location. Lines are open between 6 a.m. and midnight EST on December 24.
More than 1,250 uniformed personnel from the United States and Canada volunteer on Christmas Eve to answer phone calls and emails that NORAD receives while its Santa Tracker is live. Civilians from the US Department of Defense also help, and some years, the president and first lady to have joined to take some calls.
What else do you need to know about Santa Tracker?
NORAD says Santa Claus typically begins his Christmas journey at the International Date Line, located in the Pacific Ocean, and proceeds to travel westward around the world. This means, historically, it starts by visiting areas of the South Pacific before moving on to New Zealand, Australia, Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, Central America and South America, in that order.
“Keep in mind that Santa’s route can be affected by weather, so it’s really unpredictable,” NORAD says, adding that it “coordinates with Santa’s elf launch personnel to confirm his launch schedule. release, but from this point on, Santa rules.”