How NORAD tracks Santa on Christmas Eve
Every year, for the past 68 years, NORAD tracks the global progress of Santa and his sleigh. John Cornelio from NORAD explains how they track this highly anticipated mission.
It’s Christmas Eve and that means you better watch out and better not cry because Santa Claus is coming to Indy.
If you’re looking to see where Santa is on his journey, you can check the NORAD Santa Tracker and Google’s Santa Tracker.
Remember, since his sleigh is of the magical variety, sometimes it might be hard to keep tabs on Santa, especially when he wants to stay hidden so as not to spoil any of the Christmas magic. There is no exact science to tracking Santa!
NORAD Santa Tracker
The NORAD Tracks Santa program has been around since 1955, helping families keep tabs on Santa’s flight path.
The NORAD Tracks Santa Operations Center will be “fully operational” at 4 a.m. MST on Christmas Eve, with approximately 750 Canadian and American military personnel and civilians volunteering to spread Santa’s cheer.
We’ve included the tracker below. You can also find it at www.noradsanta.org.
You can also call NORAD directly at +1 (877) HI-NORAD.
Google’s Santa Tracker
Google started tracking Santa in 2004. Starting Christmas Eve, he can be tracked on Google’s website and the Santa Tracker 2023 app.
You can also use Google Assistant to learn more about Santa Claus and ask for updates from the North Pole. The Google Assistant also tells Santa jokes, along with other features.
Google’s Santa Tracker includes a family guide, quizzes and various Christmas-themed games to play while you wait.
Google estimates that Santa’s journey takes 25 hours, so you’ll need to keep checking in to see when he’s due to reach Indiana to make sure the cookies and milk are ready for his arrival.
USA TODAY contributed to this article.
Katie Wiseman is a trending and breaking news intern at IndyStar. Contact her at klwiseman@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @itskatiewiseman.
