Circumnavigating our planet bringing toys and joys is no simple task for Santa Claus and his high-flying reindeer, and whether Rudolph’s red nose is needed or not this year, it’s still a miraculous annual mission requiring expert mapping and some cooperation from Mother Nature.
For eager eyes anticipating his arrival, the NORAD Tracks Santa website and app are here to provide Christmas revelry by following exactly where in the world the Big Red Guy is and where his course will bring him next. This interactive simulation app is available for Android or Apple iOS devices and can be downloaded for free at NORAD’s official site.
Incorporated into the main NORAD Tracks Santa homepage counting down Santa’s shove-off from the North Pole and providing an up-to-the-minute location spotter starting on Christmas Eve, yuletide users can explore the North Pole, play fun daily games in The Arcade, listen to Santa’s favorite Xmas tunes at The Music Stage, read stories of Santa’s magic sleigh and holiday traditions in The Library, watch films about Santa and NORAD at The Theater, purchase Santa-themed items and NORAD gear in The Gift Shop, and learn all about NORAD’s history and its ongoing mission.
“While the tradition of tracking Santa began purely by accident, NORAD continues to track Santa,” the website states. “We’re the only organization that has the technology, the qualifications, and the people to do it. And, we love it! NORAD is honored to be Santa’s official tracker!”
Kris Kringle fans can track Santa’s annual flight on the official website, Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and the NORAD Tracks Santa Claus mobile app. Kids (and childlike adults) can also phone a volunteer-manned hotline number to reach the NORAD Tracks Santa Operation Center on Dec. 24: 877-HI-NORAD (877-446-6723).
Based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, The North America Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has been entrusted with tracking Santa as he circles the globe for nearly 70 years.
By some accounts, this Santa Tracker initiative kicked off by complete accident in 1955, when a Colorado Springs Sears printed a newspaper announcement telling children to call a certain phone number to chat with Santa. That number was misprinted, and the connection was actually routed to the predecessor of NORAD, the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD). Crew Commander Colonel Harry Shoup took the misdialed call but realized the positive PR factor involved and told his officers to deliver fictional tracking updates on Santa Claus and his sleigh.
Nowadays, NORAD employs its North Warning System radar system, early warning satellites, and 47 installations strung along North America’s northern border for high-tech Xmas detection. Candy canes and hot chocolate not required.
NORAD Tracks Santa is live online and begins watching Santa at 4 a.m. ET (0900 GMT) on Dec. 24.