Santa Claus is coming soon: how to know when Santa arrives and track his journey live

When does Santa Claus arrive on December 24th? NORAD, the United States Space Defense Agency, answers this question every year that millions of children ask themselves. For decades, it has operated the famous Santa Claus Tracker, a system that allows you to see in real time where Santa is while delivering gifts around the world.

How to track Santa Claus on Christmas Eve

When does the search for Santa Claus begin

The tracking starts on December 24th at 4:00 AM Eastern Time in the United States. From that moment, the agency constantly updates the position of the flying sleigh using a combination of satellites, radars, and state-of-the-art cameras.

There are two main ways to find out when Santa Claus is coming to your house:

• Through the digital platform: visit NORAD’s official website or download their mobile app to follow the journey live
• By phone: call the toll-free number 1-877-HI-NORAD (available from 6:00 AM ET) so specially trained operators can inform you of Santa’s current location

The system allows you to see which country Santa Claus is in, how many gifts he has delivered, and how much time remains until his arrival according to time zones.

The route Santa Claus takes around the world

Where does Santa travel on his Christmas journey

According to NORAD’s history, Santa begins his trip at the International Date Line, first crossing New Zealand and Australia. He continues his journey through Asia, then Africa and Europe, crosses North America, and ends in Latin America before returning to the North Pole.

Santa’s route adjusts in real time depending on where children are already sleeping. If in a region the little ones are still awake, Santa delays his visit and returns later. In previous editions, it has been documented that Santa has “visited” the International Space Station as part of the special broadcasts of the annual tracking.

The story behind Santa’s tracking

When did this tradition of following Santa begin

Interestingly, this tradition was born by accident in 1955. A local newspaper published an advertisement with the phone number of CONAD (, the predecessor of NORAD), inviting children to call Santa Claus. Colonel Harry Shoup, who was on duty that day, personally answered the calls to assure the children that Santa would be protected and monitored during his journey.

Since 1958, NORAD officially took over this operation, turning an error into one of the most iconic Christmas traditions in the world. Today, millions of people in over 200 countries rely on this system to find out when Santa Claus is coming, establishing the initiative as one of the most prominent community outreach programs of the U.S. Department of Defense.

When Santa Claus finally arrives at your home will depend on your geographic location, but one thing is certain: NORAD will be there to track him in real time.