NORAD Santa Tracker 2025: How It Works and Why It’s a Beloved Holiday Tradition

Every Christmas Eve, a unique tradition captivates children and adults worldwide: the NORAD Santa Tracker. In 2025, this long-standing holiday custom celebrated its 70th anniversary, continuing to bring joy, wonder, and a shared sense of excitement to millions of families as they follow Santa Claus’s journey across the globe.

But what exactly is the NORAD Santa Tracker, how did it start, and how can people around the world use it to watch Santa’s sleigh fly over their homes? Let’s unwrap this festive phenomenon.



A Tradition Born From a Happy Mistake

The story of the NORAD Santa Tracker is as magical as the tradition itself. It began not in a tech lab or marketing office, but by accident in 1955. A Colorado Springs newspaper misprinted a phone number in a Christmas advertisement, directing curious children not to Santa Claus, but to the operations center of what was then the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD).

Rather than disappoint the young callers, Colonel Harry Shoup and his team decided to play along. They provided updates on Santa’s progress as he left the North Pole — and a tradition was born. When NORAD replaced CONAD years later, the organization continued this annual tradition, blending whimsical holiday cheer with real aerospace tracking capabilities.




What the NORAD Santa Tracker Is Today

Today, the NORAD Tracks Santa program is a global holiday attraction that operates every December, culminating in a full day of live tracking on Christmas Eve — December 24th. Families can follow Saint Nick’s journey as he delivers presents all over the world.

Here’s what the 2025 NORAD Santa Tracker offers:

✔️ Interactive Online Map

The official website (noradsanta.org) features an animated real-time map showing Santa’s current position, estimated next stop, and his overall progress.

✔️ Mobile Apps

Interactive apps for iOS and Android allow kids to track Santa on smartphones and tablets, complete with fun visuals and countdowns.

✔️ Live Phone Line

From early morning on Christmas Eve, families can dial a special toll-free number — 1-877-HI-NORAD — to speak with volunteers about Santa’s whereabouts.

✔️ Multilingual Support

This year’s Santa Tracker is available in nine languages, including English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Chinese, and Korean — making it accessible around the world.

✔️ Social and Smart Platform Access

Santa updates also show up on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X, Amazon Alexa, SiriusXM, and OnStar, so the whole family can tune in however they prefer.




How NORAD Does the Tracking

Despite the fun and fantasy of the tradition, the tracking itself uses real aerospace surveillance tools — just ones that are ordinarily employed for defense. On Christmas Eve, NORAD’s radar, satellites, and fighter jet capabilities are playfully “repurposed” to follow Santa’s sleigh as it circles the globe.

NORAD officials even joke that Santa’s journey gives them a chance to celebrate while still maintaining their main mission: monitoring airspace and providing defense warnings for North America. The glowing red nose of Rudolph — interpreted through sensors — helps detect Santa’s path in a festive blend of myth and tech.



When and How the Tracker Works in 2025

In 2025, the NORAD Santa Tracker opened online on December 1, giving families days of holiday countdowns, games, and interactive features before the big event.

On December 24th, the live tracking officially launched early — allowing updates to begin as soon as Santa departed the North Pole. From that moment, children across the globe have been checking the tracker to see where Santa is headed next.

Even after live operators stop answering calls at midnight Mountain Standard Time, families can continue following Santa’s flight until the early hours of December 25th through the website or the Interactive Voice Response system.




Why the NORAD Tracker Matters

For many families, the NORAD Santa Tracker isn’t just a website or app — it’s a holiday tradition. Parents who followed Santa as children now share the experience with their own kids. On social media and in forums, people reminisce about watching Santa’s journey together, laughing at how fast he “flies” from continent to continent.

Even world leaders get in on the fun — in 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump took part in NORAD’s annual tracker calls with children, adding a festive touch to the event and showing how widespread the tradition has become.




A Magic Tradition for a Digital Age

In a world increasingly powered by technology, the NORAD Santa Tracker is a reminder that high-tech tools can still fuel simple joy. Whether a child is watching Santa “approach” their town or a parent is reliving holiday nostalgia, this tradition blends imagination with innovation.

As Christmas Eve unfolds each year, Santa’s virtual route across the globe sparks excitement, connection, and shared wonder — proving that even in the digital age, a little holiday magic still goes a long way.