Christmas is coming up quick! If you and your little ones want to check how close Santa Claus is to delivering your presents this Christmas Eve, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has your back. Use the NORAD Santa Tracker to follow Santa’s 2020 journey from the North Pole to you.
It’s not the olden days anymore — no need to wait at the window hoping to catch a glimpse of Santa’s sleigh. NORAD’s modern technology can now help you and your family track Father Christmas in his journey around the world on December 24th and 25th, delivering gifts to all the good boys and girls.
No matter where you live in the world, you can see just how long until Santa gets to you. And more: the NORAD Santa Tracker website has games and kid-friendly activities to keep your little ones occupied until the tracker goes live.
So just how far — and fast — does Santa go? According to the tracker, he travels about 510 million kilometers on Christmas Eve, zooming about 1,800 miles every second. Those reindeer must be tired. If you’re feeling like giving back, make sure to leave them some carrots — and a cookie or two for Santa couldn’t hurt.
The NORAD Santa Tracker goes live around 8 am on Christmas Eve. NORAD and its predecessor, the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD), have been tracking Santa Claus in some form for the last 60 years. NORAD will have thousands of volunteers on call to respond to questions about Santa’s whereabouts — this is serious business.
The tracker’s chockfull of details too: where Santa was last seen, where he’s heading, and how many gifts he’s delivered so far. He’ll be traveling east to west, passing some of the world’s most iconic landmarks on his way. NORAD’s tracker page gets millions of international visitors every year.
On the site, you can also visit the North Pole, watch holiday videos and listen to holiday music. NORAD’s also releasing a game-a-day page in the style of an advent calendar, so you can get excited for Christmas all month. And for free, you can even get a personalized message from Santa Claus himself!