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Santa Claus is coming to town – and NORAD and Google are keeping a close eye on the whereabouts of the jolly old man and his reindeer.
If you’re hoping to track Santa’s flight around the world and into Vermont this Christmas Eve, here’s what to know.
Both NORAD and Google offer real-time Santa tracking. NORAD has monitored St. Nick’s sleigh with military technology every Dec. 24 since 1955, while Google joined the game in 2004, using its online maps to follow Santa’s journey.
“We track Santa the same way we do our normal, day-to-day mission, to defend and protect North America from air attacks,” said John Cornelio, public affairs deputy director for both NORAD and U.S. Northern Command.
NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) uses radars, satellites, and fighter jets to get eyes on him as soon as he departs from the North Pole, according to Cornelio.
Check out the trackers to see Santa’s location:
NORAD Tracks Santa started 70 years ago, after a child accidentally dialed the unlisted phone number of the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Operations Center in Colorado Springs, hoping to reach Santa Claus.
Today, the joint U.S.-Canada command that protects the skies over both nations enlists more than 1,300 volunteers each year to answer calls from children and adults curious about Santa’s whereabouts on Christmas Eve, Cornelio said.
“You can talk to one of our volunteers who’ll tell you exactly where Santa is, and, probably more importantly, roughly about what time he should be expected at that person’s house, which is always between 9 p.m. and midnight, but only after the children have gone to bed,” Cornelio said.
Visitors to NORAD’s website can view a live map of Santa’s travels, along with an estimated time of arrival for his next stop. You can also play games and learn about Santa on the site while you wait for him to come.
NORAD begins tracking Santa at around 6 a.m. ET on Christmas Eve and ends at around 2 a.m. ET on Christmas Day, Cornelio said. He starts delivering presents in countries near the International Date Line, such as New Zealand, Tonga, and Kiribati.
You can see Santa’s location with the NORAD Santa Tracker at www.noradsanta.org.
You can also call NORAD directly at +1 (877) HI-NORAD.
Google’s Santa Tracker has a similar layout: a large map showing Santa’s past and upcoming stops, along with a running total of gifts delivered. The site also features a countdown of when the jolly old elf is slated to visit your town.
You can check out St. Nick’s location on the Google Santa Tracker website.
And while you’re waiting around for Santa, Google’s tracker includes a family guide, quizzes, and various Christmas-themed games to play.
Since Santa Claus is magical and likes to create a bit of mystery around his exact location, he sometimes throws off the trackers to keep us mortals on our toes. After all, if people could follow him perfectly as he delivers presents, he might never get his work done! And as Cornelio noted, Santa only arrives at a home once all the children inside are asleep.
Katie Landeck from the USA Today Network contributed to this report.