As Santa begins his around-the-world journey on Dec. 24, 2024, pilots can track his flight a few different ways.
Since 1955 the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has tracked Santa’s journey around the globe.
NORAD’s mission to track Santa began by accident. In 1955 a child, trying to reach Santa, dialed the misprinted phone number from a department store ad in the local newspaper. Instead of calling Santa, the child called the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Operations Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Air Force Col. Harry Shoup, the commander on duty that night who answered the phone call, quickly realized a mistake had been made and assured the child he was Santa. After more incoming calls, Shoup assigned a duty officer to continue answering calls and a tradition was born that continued when NORAD was formed in 1958.
Each year since, NORAD has reported Santa’s location on Dec. 24 to millions of children across the world.
What started because of a typo has flourished and is recognized as one of the Department of Defense’s largest community outreach programs, officials added.
Each year, the NORAD Tracks Santa website receives several million unique visitors from more than 200 countries and territories around the world. Volunteers typically answer more than 130,000 calls to the NORAD Tracks Santa hotline from children across the globe.
In addition to the phone line and website, children and the young-at-heart can track Santa through mobile apps and NORAD’s social media platforms, including Facebook and YouTube.
Or You Can Google Santa
Google has created its own Santa Tracker, which also contains a host of online games in Santa’s Village, including an opportunity for kids to learn to code with Santa’s elves.
On Dec. 24, Santa’s Village transforms into a tracker where you can follow Santa and his reindeer as they deliver presents to kids around the world.
One fun fact from Google about Santa’s flight: “Did you know Santa’s journey lasts 25 hours? He makes his first stop just after 10 p.m. local time in far eastern Russia, when it’s 5 a.m. in New York and 11 a.m. in Paris.”
Other Fun Santa Facts
The NORAD website also includes a page that answers frequently asked questions, such as:
- Has Santa ever crashed while flying around the world? NORAD officials answer that Santa has been flying for centuries without an accident or incident. “He must be a great pilot!” they add.
- How many people are involved in tracking Santa’s flight? It takes more than 1,250 people, officials report.
- How much does the effort cost? It’s interesting to note that most of the expenses are picked up by corporations, while the folks tracking the flight volunteer their time.
As a child growing up in a small farm town south of Chicago in the 1960’s, we would watch the Garfield Goose children’s TV show in the weekday late afternoon. On Christmas Eve, the host and Garfield would excitedly show Santa’s progress through the NORAD tracking program. As kids, we were incredibly excited, and sure enough, Santa would stop at our house overnight and deliver a bounty of gifts for the 5 kids. Truly a fond memory, and I’m glad to see it continues today!