After already making the list and checking it twice, Santa Claus comes. You can track his progress on Christmas Eve.
For 70 years, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has made tracking Santa a holiday tradition, following St. Nick around the world. Santa’s surveillance reportedly began when the agency, then called the Continental Defense Forces, began receiving calls from children looking for Santa after Sears playfully printed out the command’s secret number, Air Force Col. Harry W. Shoup told The Associated Press in 1999.
Since then, NORAD has upgraded its Santa tracking technology by installing a Santa camera in space to monitor the jolly old elf, the agency said. “NORAD tracks Santa, but only Santa knows Santa’s route, which means we cannot predict when or where Santa will arrive at your home,” NORAD officials said in a news release.
This year, the NORAD Tracks Santa YouTube channel is also featuring Christmas celebration videos submitted by families. “Their excitement reflects the spirit that has made NORAD Tracks Santa popular around the world for nearly 70 years,” the channel said.
How to track NORAD’s Santa Tracker 2025
The NORAD Tracks Santa website began tracking Santa’s progress at 6 a.m. ET and 4 a.m. MST on Wednesday, December 24, also known as Christmas Eve. Want live updates? NORAD operators will also be taking calls about Santa’s trip at 1-877-HI-NORAD (1-877-446-6723) until midnight MST or 2 a.m. ET on Christmas Day. You can follow NORAD Santa Tracker on USA TODAY using the link at the top of this story.
The NORAD Santa Tracker app can also be downloaded from Google Play and Apple’s App Store.
The site, launched Dec. 1, will feature games, videos and other holiday activities, as well as information about NORAD, the U.S.-Canada collaboration that monitors the countries’ airspace. This site is available in English, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish.
When will Google’s Santa tracker be available?
NORAD isn’t the only one tracking Santa. Google’s Santa Tracker has been working on this case since 2004.
The company’s Santa Tracking website provides real-time, animated information about where Saint Nick and his sleigh are around the world. There are also bundles of holiday-themed games and activities. This site is available in dozens of languages. You can also view the Google Santa Tracker using the app available on the Google Play Store.
Flightradar24 Santa Tracker
Flightradar24, a global aviation tracking service that provides real-time information on thousands of aircraft around the world, is also tracking Santa. You can follow Santa’s progress on the Flightradar24 website or YouTube channel.
The tracking company said Flightradar24 backed Santa by “working closely with Santa’s workshop to ensure his sleigh is equipped with the latest tracking technology.”
Mike Snyder is a national trends news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, and X, and email him at: mike snyder & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider & msnider@usatoday.com
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