As Christmas Eve unfolds, millions of children and families around the world are once again tracking Santa Claus's annual global journey using online tools that show his progress as he delivers gifts across the globe. The tradition of following Santa dates back to 1955, when a misprinted phone number in a Sears ad led children to call what was then the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD). Ever since, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has taken on the yearly task of "tracking" Santa with up-to-the-minute updates from its operations centre at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs, marking its 70th year of Santa tracking in 2025.
📷 Santa Cam Preview
— NORAD Tracks Santa (@NoradSanta) December 22, 2025
One of the most popular features of NORAD Tracks Santa is the Santa Cam. Beginning on December 24, NORAD will release video clips from around the world showing Santa as he passes key locations. These clips are produced using a combination of animation,… pic.twitter.com/e6pUVUmj5F
Each Christmas Eve from midnight onward (December 24), NORAD publishes Santa's location online and through its Santa tracker website, with volunteers answering calls on the toll-free hotline 1-877-HI-NORAD (877-446-6723) in multiple languages. Families can also watch in real time as he is tracked by radar, satellites and other systems humorously keyed to Rudolph's glowing nose, as he travels from the North Pole and visits cities around the world.
In addition to NORAD's service, Google's Santa Tracker offers an interactive and colourful experience that shows Santa's progress using Google Maps and festive animations, as well as games and educational activities leading up to and during Christmas Eve
To follow Santa now or later tonight:
- Visit noradsanta.org for live Santa updates from NORAD.
- Open Google's Santa Tracker at santatracker.google.com for a map-based view and interactive features.
- Families can tune into these trackers on phones and computers to see where Santa is as he makes his magical journey across the skies this Christmas.
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