Toronto 
Track Santa around the world this Christmas!
Credit: Alicia Slough on Unsplash
NORAD’s Santa Tracker can help kids have fun tracking the magical fellow around the globe.
It is also a great way to learn about geography!
The tracker begins on December 24th, when Santa’s sled takes off from the North Pole.
Canada has cleared Santa to use Canadian airspace. The news was shared through a video on social media.
NORAD says it tracks Santa by detecting Rudolph the Reindeer’s bright red nose through its high-tech satellite system. It also uses Canadian Royal Air Force CF-18 fighter jets and U.S. Air Force F-15, F-16, and F-22 fighter jets to escort him into different parts of North America!
NORAD Tracks Santa Operations Center becomes fully operational at 4 AM MST on December 24th. Children can call 1 877 HI-NORAD (1 877 446-6723) to talk directly to a NORAD staff member who will be able to tell you Santa’s exact location.
The map is visible on the site and app. There are other activities for kids to try.
- You can soundtrack your Christmas Eve fun with their free Christmas music access and use it to learn more about NORAD and Santa.
- The site has games to play.
- Starting Dec 24th, 4 a.m., NORAD provides a real-time display of Santa’s location throughout the night. They can be as precise as to tell which country he is visiting and at what time!
According to NORAD, the Santa tracking took off after a misprinted phone number on a Sears flyer caused a phone call to the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center in Colorado from a child asking about Santa’s whereabouts on Christmas Eve in 1955.
Learn more about the 68-year history of NORAD’s complete Santa tracking mission here.
