Every Christmas Eve, families around the world open a map, refresh a page, and watch one of the season’s most joyful traditions unfold: Santa’s globe-spanning journey. In 2025, the tradition continues with the NORAD Santa Tracker 2025—a live experience that blends festive storytelling with real-world tracking tools.

If you’re wondering where Santa is right now (or when he’s likely to reach your region), here’s a simple, family-friendly guide to how it works, when it goes live, and how it compares to Google’s tracker.

How the NORAD Santa Tracker Started

The NORAD Santa Tracker began by accident in 1955. A department store advertisement printed a phone number for children to call “Santa”—but the number was misprinted. A child who dialed it didn’t reach the North Pole. Instead, the call went to the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Operations Center, the predecessor of NORAD.

The commander on duty, Air Force Col. Harry Shoup, quickly realized what happened and chose not to disappoint the caller. He played along, directing staff to check radar for signs of Santa heading south from the North Pole. The idea caught on, and when NORAD formed in 1958, it carried the tradition forward—turning a mix-up into a holiday ritual shared across generations.

How NORAD Tracks Santa in 2025

NORAD’s day job is serious: the US-Canadian defence partnership monitors the skies for potential threats. But each Christmas Eve, it adds a special mission—tracking Santa’s route around the globe. NORAD explains Santa’s journey using a combination of:

• Radar, including the North Warning System across northern regions
• Satellites used for wide-area detection and tracking
• SantaCam-style visuals for festive “sightings” as he travels
• Volunteers who help answer questions from families worldwide

NORAD even shares playful “stats” that make the tracker fun to follow—like Santa’s sleigh reaching a maximum speed described as “faster than starlight”, and quirky references to sleigh weight in “gumdrops.”

When the NORAD Santa Tracker Goes Live (Date + Time)

For Christmas Eve 2025 (December 24, 2025), NORAD says its Santa Operations Center will be fully functional beginning 4:00 a.m. MST. From that point, tracking and live updates ramp up as Santa prepares to depart and begin visiting time zones that celebrate Christmas earliest.

Children can call 877-446-6723 to talk directly to a Santa tracker and ask for Santa’s current location. Operators will be available until midnight (MST) on December 24.

Where Santa Goes First

Santa’s route follows the logic of time zones. While only Santa knows his exact flight plan, trackers typically show him visiting:

1. New Zealand and Australia (earliest Christmas celebrations)
2. East Asia and Southeast Asia
3. Africa and Europe, including the UK
4. North and South America

NORAD also shares a gentle reminder for excited households: Santa is most often spotted arriving between 9 p.m. and midnight local time, and he tends to visit when children are asleep—so bedtime is part of the tradition.

NORAD vs Google: Which Santa Tracker Is Better?

Two big names dominate Santa tracking each year: NORAD and Google. They offer different experiences, and many families enjoy switching between them throughout Christmas Eve.

How to Track Santa Live in 2025

Here are the simplest ways to follow Santa on December 24:

• Track Santa on the official NORAD site: noradsanta.org
• Try Google’s tracker for games and a different map experience: santatracker.google.com
• Call the NORAD Santa Tracker hotline: 877-446-6723 (live operators from 4:00 a.m. MST until midnight MST on Dec. 24)

Why This Tradition Still Feels Special

In a world filled with fast updates and endless feeds, the NORAD Santa Tracker 2025 remains a simple, shared moment: families gathering around a screen, checking a location pin, and feeling the same excitement year after year. It’s a reminder that sometimes the best technology doesn’t replace tradition—it helps keep it alive.

Tip: If you’re planning to track Santa with kids, set a time to check in together—then make the last refresh the “goodnight update.”