How to Track Santa's Flight Path

Co-authored by Hunter Rising

Last Updated: June 9, 2022 References

Santa is a busy man on Christmas Eve since he needs to deliver presents to the whole world. If you are wondering where he is or when he will deliver presents to you, you can track Santa online. Whether you use Google or NORAD's Santa Tracker, you will find out when he is going to leave presents under your tree.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Using the Google Santa Tracker

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Visit Santa's Village starting in December to play Christmas-related games. The Google Santa Tracker starts on December 1st with a digital advent calendar counting down the days until Christmas. Each day offers a new game or learning activity to get you more excited for when Santa arrives.
- You can find the tracker and Santa's Village here: https://santatracker.google.com/village.html.
- If you’re an educator, the Santa Tracker offers lesson plans and educational games, ranging from basic coding to understanding how other cultures celebrate Christmas.
2
Open the tracker on Christmas Eve to see Santa's path. The tracker starts early in the morning when the countdown clock on top of the screen is finished or around 2 AM EST. Santa’s Village will then allow you to access the tracker so you can see Santa’s location around the world in real time.
- New games will appear in Santa’s Village only on Christmas Eve. Make sure to check the site throughout the day so you don’t miss anything.
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3
Follow along with how long Santa takes at each location. Santa starts in Australia and works his way east to other countries. The tracker will tell you where Santa has been, where he’s heading next, how many presents he’s delivered, and how close he is to your location. Use the tracker throughout the day so you know when he’s going to deliver presents to you.^{[1]
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- Visit the site on your mobile browser or download the Santa Tracker app if you want to track Santa on the go.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Tracking Santa with NORAD

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Visit the NORAD Tracks Santa website on Christmas Eve. Open your preferred web browser anytime on December 24th after 2 AM MST and find the official NORAD Santa Tracker. The website is available in 7 different languages in over 200 countries.^{[2]
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- The NORAD Santa Tracker can be found here in December: https://www.noradsanta.org/.
- NORAD has been tracking Santa since 1955 and the website attracts nearly 9 million users every year.^{[3]
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- The website is available on desktop or mobile.
2
Watch Santa and his reindeer in 3D as they fly. Since 2013, the NORAD Santa Tracker started to use a 3D Santa to show his location around the world. The 3D Santa flies across the map in his sleigh with his reindeer, so you know exactly where he is at any given time.^{[4]
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- You can also view Santa in 2D if the site starts running slow.
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Look at how many gifts Santa has delivered in the bottom-left corner. NORAD keeps a running count of how many presents Santa gives to good children around the world. Watch how much the counter increases as he travels between cities and countries.^{[5]
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- The counter will say he is dropping gifts as he flies over the ocean, but he's just giving sea animals gifts as well.
4
Call 1-877-HI-NORAD if you do not have online access. Make your calls starting at 6 AM EST. Volunteers at NORAD who are constantly checking on Santa’s location will be able to tell you the last place he was spotted.^{[6]
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- The phone lines are open until around 12:00 AM EST.
- The NORAD Santa trackers take in more than 140,000 calls from around the world on Christmas Eve. When you call, remember to be friendly and polite.

Community Q&A

Question

Can Santa forget and miss my house?

Anon

Community Answer

No. Santa is a very skilled man who visits millions of houses a year, but despite lots of work, he never forgets anyone's house.
Question

Should I leave carrots or grass for reindeer?

Community Answer

Many articles say Rudolph and his gang eat vegetables in the North Pole, but I'm sure they would be grateful for carrots or grass.
Question

What does Santa most like to eat?

Community Answer

Not much is known about him. Most kids give him cookies and milk, which he likes, but if you want to give him something else, he'll most likely like it, too.