Where is Santa right now?

Where is Santa right now?

As of about 1:15 a.m. ET on Christmas Day, NORAD says Santa is now moving across the southern United States and is on his way to Kingsville, Texas, near the Mexican border. Earlier he'd been tracked heading across Asia, Africa, Europe, and then South America. NORAD says he's delivered some 6-and-a-half trillion gifts.

When will Santa come to your house?

According to NORAD, it's impossible to know because only Santa knows his route.  But history suggests he only arrives when children are asleep, so anytime between 9 p.m. and midnight on December 24 is a good bet. 

"If children are still awake when Santa arrives, he moves on to other houses. He returns later, but only when the children are asleep!" 

How does the Santa tracker work?

NORAD uses a combination of radars, satellites and jet fighters, it says, to keep a watchful eye on Santa's progress.

Its radar system, called the North Warning System, monitors the North Pole every Christmas.

"The moment our radar tells us that Santa has lifted off, we begin to use the same satellites that we use in providing air warning of possible missile launches aimed at North America," NORAD's Santa tracker website says. 

Satellites located 22,300 miles above the Earth with infrared sensors also help NORAD in its tracking duties. 

"Rudolph's nose gives off an infrared signature similar to a missile launch," NORAD says. "The satellites detect Rudolph's bright red nose with no problem."

And finally, NORAD says Canadian and American jet fighters welcome Santa and his reindeer and escort them through North American airspace.

"Even though Santa flies faster than any jet fighter (Santa slows down for us to escort him), all of these systems together provide NORAD with a very good continuous picture of his whereabouts," according to NORAD. 

Is there a Santa Claus?

Mountains of historical data and NORAD tracking information leads us to believe that Santa Claus is alive and well in the hearts of people throughout the world.

How old is Santa?

It's hard to know for sure, but NORAD intelligence indicates Santa is AT LEAST 16 centuries old.

What does Santa look like?

Based on flight profile data gathered from NORAD's radar and satellite tracking, NORAD concludes that Santa probably stands about 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs approximately 260 pounds (before cookies). Based on fighter-aircraft photos, we know he has a generous girth (belly), rosy cheeks from sleigh riding in cold weather, and a flowing white beard.

How does Santa get down chimneys?

Although NORAD has different hypotheses and theories as to how Santa actually gets down the chimneys, we don't have definitive information to explain the magical phenomenon.

Do your planes ever intercept Santa?

Over the past 68 years, our fighter jets (F-16s, F-15s, F-22s and CF-18s) have intercepted Santa many, many times. When the jets intercept Santa, they tip their wings to say, "Hello Santa! NORAD is tracking you again this year!" Santa always waves. He loves to see the pilots!

Does NORAD have any pictures of Santa taken from your planes?

Our fighter pilots love to take photos of Santa. We also have NORAD Santa Cams in space which take video of Santa as he flies round the world. These videos appear almost every hour on December 24th during Santa’s flight

Does NORAD have any statistics on Santa's sleigh?

NORAD can confirm that Santa's sleigh is a versatile, all weather, multi-purpose, vertical short-take-off and landing vehicle. It is capable of traveling vast distances without refueling and is deployed, as far as we know, only on December 24th (and sometimes briefly for a test flight about a month before Christmas).

Santa ever crashed into anything when he was flying around the world?

Santa has been flying for centuries without hitting anything. He must be a great pilot!

I would rather talk to someone at NORAD to find out where Santa is located. Is there a number I can call?

Yes! The NORAD Tracks Santa Operations Center is fully operational beginning at 4 AM MST on December 24th. You 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. Operators are available until midnight.