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NORAD is Ready to Track Santa’s Flight for the 68th Year

By Kyrie Collins, Macaroni KID Highlands Ranch-Parker-Castle Rock-Lone Tree Publisher December 11, 2023

The North American Aerospace Defense Command's (NORAD) #1 priority is defending North America. NORAD, a United States and Canada bi-national organization, monitors and defends North American airspace 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

On December 24, NORAD has one additional mission: tracking Santa Claus as he travels across the globe, delivering presents to children. This is NORAD's 68th year tracking Santa — a tradition the Command is proud to continue each year.


How It Began

In 1955, a newspaper ad invited children to call Santa Claus. The ad said, "Hey Kiddies! Call me direct and be sure and dial the correct number!"

However, the number was printed incorrectly, and instead of reaching the North Pole, it connected callers to the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Operations Center in Colorado Springs.

Colonel Harry Shoup — now known as the Santa Colonel — was the crew commander on duty that night. He assured the first caller they had the correct number and then assigned an officer to continue answering calls. When NORAD was created in 1958, it chose to continue the holiday tradition that was born that night.


Serving Children Around the World

Today, NORAD uses satellite systems, high-powered radars, and jet fighters to keep tabs on Santa Claus as he travels the world.

The NORAD Tracks Santa program has become a worldwide phenomenon. Each year, the NORAD Tracks Santa website receives nearly nine million unique visitors from more than 200 countries and territories around the world. Volunteers respond to more than 12,000 e-mails and answer over 70,000 phone calls from children around the globe.


Visit Santa's North Pole Village Online

The online experience launched on December 1 provides information and games to prepare everyone for the big night. Count down the days until Christmas by visiting the NORAD Tracks Santa website at www.noradsanta.org.

The website features Santa's North Pole Village, which includes a holiday countdown, games, a movie theater, holiday music, a web store, and more. The website is now available in nine languages: English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Chinese, and Korean.


How to Track Santa in 2023

Starting at 2:00 AM MST on December 24, website visitors can see updates as Santa prepares for his flight. Then, at 6:00 AM MST, trackers worldwide can speak with a live phone operator to inquire about Santa's whereabouts by dialing the toll-free number (877) HI-NORAD (446-6723).

Website visitors will see NORAD's "Santa Cams" streaming videos as Santa approaches various locations. Santa trackers can also find up-to-the-minute Santa stats on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and on contributor platforms: Amazon Alexa, Bing, SiriusXM, and OnStar.

The official NORAD Tracks Santa app is also available in the Apple App and Google Play stores.