NORAD Santa Claus tracker website

by: Jeremiah Martinez

Posted: Dec 24, 2022 / 07:45 AM PST

Updated: Dec 23, 2022 / 11:37 AM PST

(KTXL) — Santa Claus is coming to town and you can track where he's going.

As he travels around the world on Christmas Day, Santa can be tracked on the NORAD Tracks Santa website.

The website is an annual Christmas-themed website from the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), the United States and Canada bi-national organization which provides aerospace warning and protection for North America.

The annual program has existed since the 1950s when the Continental Air Defense Control (CONAD) began tracking Santa in 1955. NORAD replaced CONAD in 1958 and took over tracking Santa's flight around the world ever since, according to the organization's website.

According to NORAD, Santa's route typically starts around the South Pacific first and then makes his way to New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Asia, Africa, Western Europe, Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Central and South America.

"Keep in mind, Santa's route can be affected by weather, so it's really unpredictable," NORAD's website reads.

The tracker website is available in eight languages and has a playlist of Christmas songs while you track him online. Before Santa makes his worldwide trek, the website shows an animation of the North Pole with a "Santa Tracker" countdown marking the days and hours left until Christmas.

The North Pole animation is six different buildings, which leads to the following sections:

According to NORAD, the organization tracks Santa with its radar system, satellite, and jet fighters, which are used to "welcome Santa to North America."

Santa's whereabouts can also be tracked through the phone at the NORAD Tracks Santa Operations Center at 1-877-HI-NORAD (446-6723), which leads you to a staff member. The phone line becomes fully operational at 3 a.m. PST on Christmas Eve and is available until midnight.

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