Santa Claus is on the way: how to track the Santa Claus Tracker route and when he will arrive at your home in 2025

Every December 24th, millions of families around the world join a unique tradition: monitoring Santa Claus’s journey in real-time from the North Pole to children’s homes in over 200 countries. This initiative, which has been connecting generations for nearly seven decades, is centered at the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).

The story behind the world’s most famous Christmas tracking

What is now a global tradition was born from a fortunate accident in 1955. An advertisement published in a local newspaper mistakenly included the phone number of the then Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD), the predecessor of NORAD(. When children started calling to talk to Santa Claus, Colonel Harry Shoup, who was on duty that night, decided not to disappoint the little ones. Instead of ending the calls, he assured each child that Santa would be watched and protected during his mission.

Three years later, in 1958, NORAD officially took over this operation, turning a mistake into one of the most iconic community programs of the U.S. Department of Defense. Today, this initiative is followed annually by tens of millions of people worldwide.

When Santa Claus arrives and how to track his journey this year

Santa tracking begins on December 24th starting at 4:00 a.m., Eastern Time in the United States. NORAD uses a sophisticated network of satellites, high-precision radars, and technologically advanced cameras to show the exact position of the sleigh in real-time.

Families can follow Santa Claus’s route through two main channels:

• Website platform: NORAD’s official site provides continuous updates throughout the day
• Mobile app: Available for smart devices, it allows tracking from anywhere

Additionally, NORAD maintains an active toll-free line )1-877-HI-NORAD( starting at 6:00 a.m. )Eastern Time(, where children can call to find out exactly where Santa is at that moment.

The route Santa Claus takes to deliver gifts

According to historical patterns recorded by NORAD, when Santa arrives in each region follows a predictable order. The journey begins at the International Date Line, in the Pacific Ocean, with the first deliveries occurring in New Zealand and Australia. From there, the trip continues toward Asia, crosses Africa and Europe, then heads to North America and ends in Latin America.

However, NORAD notes that the route can be dynamically adjusted during the trip. Santa Claus implements an intelligent system: he checks if children are already asleep in each home. If there are still awake children, he simply continues the journey and returns later, ensuring no one sees him delivering the gifts.

As a fun fact, it has even been documented that Santa Claus has made “special visits” to the International Space Station )ISS during some years, broadcast live as part of the annual tracking.

A tradition that continues to grow

What started as a kind gesture from a military member seventy years ago has become a global phenomenon. Every Christmas, NORAD’s initiative brings together families of different cultures, languages, and realities around the magic of Santa Claus. When Santa arrives is no longer a mystery but a shared experience that unites the world on the most magical night of the year.