Twenty four hours a day, 365 days a year, NORAD tracks airplanes, missiles, space launches and anything else that flies in or around the North American continent, while also completing some other very important missions. While the tradition of tracking Santa began purely by accident, NORAD continues to track Santa. They are the only organization that has the technology, the qualifications, and the people to do it. And, they love it! NORAD is honored to be Santa's official tracker!
How It Began
In 1955, there was a newspaper ad inviting children to call Santa Claus. The ad said, "Hey Kiddies! Call me direct and be sure and dial the correct number!"
However, the number was printed incorrectly and instead of reaching the North Pole, it connected callers to the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Operations Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Colonel Harry Shoup — now known as the Santa Colonel — was the crew commander on duty that night. He assured the first caller that they had the right number, then assigned an officer to continue answering calls. When NORAD was created in 1958, it chose to continue the holiday tradition that was born that night.
Serving Children Around the World
Today, NORAD uses satellite systems, high-powered radars, and jet fighters to keep tabs on Santa Claus as he travels the world.
The NORAD Tracks Santa program has become a worldwide phenomenon. Each year, the NORAD Tracks Santa website receives nearly nine million unique visitors from more than 200 countries and territories around the world. Volunteers respond to more than 12,000 e-mails and answer over 70,000 phone calls from children around the globe.
Visit Santa's North Pole Village Online
The online experience is now live and provides information and games to get everyone ready for the big night. Count down the days until Christmas by visiting the NORAD Tracks Santa website.
Families can play games, watch movies about Santa and NORAD, listen to holiday music, shop the online store, and much more! The website is available in English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Chinese.
How to Track Santa in 2023
Starting at 2:00 AM MST on December 24, website visitors can see updates as Santa makes preparations for his flight. Then, at 4:00 AM MST, trackers worldwide can call to inquire as to Santa’s whereabouts by dialing the toll-free number (877) Hi-NORAD (446-6723) where they will either speak with a live phone operator or hear a recorded update.
Website visitors will see NORAD's "Santa Cams" streaming videos as Santa makes his way over various locations. Santa trackers can also find up-to-the-minute Santa stats on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Additionally, the official NORAD Tracks Santa app is available in the Apple App and Google Play stores.
Amazon Alexa users can ask for Santa’s location through the NORAD Tracks Santa skill for Amazon Alexa. OnStar subscribers can press the OnStar button in their vehicles to locate Santa.
