Follow Santa Live With the Santa Tracker

What Is a Santa Tracker? The Short Answer

A Santa tracker is a live map that shows where Santa is on Christmas Eve. The map follows his sleigh as he delivers gifts around the world. The two best trackers are NORAD Tracks Santa and Google Santa Tracker. NORAD starts live tracking at 4 AM Mountain Time on December 24, and Google starts at about 10 AM UTC. Open the tracker in the evening, and you can watch Santa cross each time zone toward your home.

A Santa tracker is free, and it works on any phone, tablet, or computer. You do not need an account, and you do not need to install anything for the websites. The apps are free on the App Store and Google Play. Pick one tracker before Christmas Eve, test it once, and the night will run without stress. This guide shows all seven ways to track Santa, compares NORAD and Google, and lists the seven mistakes to avoid.

ANSWER BOX 1: A Santa tracker is a live map that follows Santa on Christmas Eve, December 24. The two best trackers are NORAD Tracks Santa at noradsanta.org and Google Santa Tracker at santatracker.google.com. NORAD goes live at 4 AM Mountain Time, and Google goes live at about 10 AM UTC. Both are free and work in any browser.

ANSWER BOX 2: Pick one Santa tracker before Christmas Eve and test it once. NORAD suits families who want the phone hotline and the classic map. Google suits families who want games and videos with the kids. Both trackers show Santa’s location, his gift count, and his next stop, so either one gives the full magic.

Santa Tracker: 7 Best Ways to Track Santa

Seven ways can track Santa, and each one fits a different moment of the night. Use the website on a big screen for the family, the app on a phone for the kids, and the phone line for a live voice. Test your pick before Christmas Eve, so a slow connection or a wrong link does not spoil the night.

Way 1: NORAD Tracks Santa website. Open noradsanta.org in any browser. The site counts down to Christmas Eve, then switches to a live world map. The map shows Santa’s current place, the gifts he has delivered, and his next stop. NORAD has run the tracker since 1955, so it is the oldest and most trusted option. Use it on a TV or a laptop, so the whole family can watch together.

Way 2: NORAD Tracks Santa app. Download the NORAD Tracks Santa app from the App Store or Google Play. The app shows the same live map as the website, plus games and videos for kids. It works on phones and tablets, so kids can carry the tracker around the house. Install it before December 24 and open it once to check that it loads.

Way 3: NORAD phone hotline. Call 1-877-HI-NORAD (1-877-446-6723) from 4 AM to midnight Mountain Time on Christmas Eve. A live volunteer answers and tells you where Santa is right now. Volunteers typically answer more than 130,000 calls each Christmas Eve, and the 2024 run took over 380,000 calls. This is the best option for small kids, because a real voice feels more magical than a screen.

Way 4: Google Santa Tracker website. Open santatracker.google.com in any browser. The site opens a festive village each December with games, videos, and a countdown clock. On Christmas Eve it switches to a live map built on Google Maps. Santa’s trip lasts a full 25 hours, and the site shows his distance traveled and his gift count. Google launched the tracker on December 1, 2004, and it has run every year since.

Way 5: Google Santa Tracker app. Download the Santa Tracker app on Android from Google Play. The app brings the village games and the live map to a phone. Kids can play more than 20 mini-games, from coding games to drawing games, while they wait for Santa. The app is free, and it works best on a tablet, where the games are easy to tap.

Way 6: Smart speaker. Ask Alexa or Google Assistant “Where is Santa right now?” on Christmas Eve. The speaker reads out Santa’s current place and how far he is from your home. This works in the kitchen or the living room, where your hands are busy with cooking or wrapping. Set it up before the night, and test one question so the speaker gives a clear answer.

Way 7: NORAD social media updates. Follow NORAD Tracks Santa on its social media pages for live updates through the night. The team posts Santa’s position, photos from the operations center, and answers to common questions. This suits parents who want quick updates on a phone without keeping a map open. Turn on notifications before Christmas Eve, so the updates reach you first.

NORAD vs Google Santa Tracker: Which One Should You Pick?

NORAD and Google both track Santa, but they feel different. NORAD is the classic tracker, built by the North American Aerospace Defense Command, and it uses the same radar and satellites that watch North American skies. Google is the playful tracker, built as a village of games, and it uses Google Maps for the live route. The table below compares the two side by side.

Pick NORAD when you want the phone hotline and the long tradition. Kids love to hear a real volunteer say where Santa is, and parents trust a tracker that has run since 1955. Pick Google when you want games to fill the wait. The village opens on December 1 each year, so kids can play for weeks before the big night. Many families use both, with NORAD on the TV and Google on a tablet.

The two trackers also differ in how they show the trip. NORAD shows Santa’s place, the gifts delivered, and the next stop, with a clean map that suits all ages. Google shows the same facts, plus the distance Santa has traveled, the time to his next stop, and short videos of his route. Both counts are fun, not exact, because Santa’s trip is a story, not a flight plan. The numbers exist to build excitement, not to set a bedtime by the minute.

If you only have time for one, pick the one your kids will enjoy most. Young kids love the phone call, so NORAD wins for them. Older kids love the games, so Google wins for them. Either way, test your pick before Christmas Eve. Open the site once, check that the map loads, and make sure the sound works. A five-minute test saves a stressful night.

How NORAD Really Tracks Santa: Radar, Satellites, and Jets

Most guides skip the tech, but the tech is the best part of the story. NORAD tracks Santa with the same tools it uses every day to watch the skies over North America. The command uses radar, satellites, and fighter jets, and each tool has a job on Christmas Eve. This is the section other guides do not have, because it needs the real story behind the map.

Radar spots Santa first. NORAD runs 47 radar stations across the north of Canada and Alaska, and those stations pick up the sleigh as it leaves the North Pole. The radar sees the sleigh as a fast-moving object, and the system hands the track to the operations center. The famous red nose helps, because Rudolph’s nose gives off a bright infrared signal that the sensors can follow in the dark.

Satellites take over next. NORAD uses satellites with infrared sensors that watch for heat, and those sensors can spot the heat from Rudolph’s nose from space. The satellites track Santa across oceans, where no radar can reach. They report his place every few minutes, so the map stays fresh all night long.

Fighter jets fly the last leg. When Santa enters North American airspace, Canadian and American jets fly beside the sleigh to guide it. The pilots wave to Santa and report his speed and height. The jets do not chase him, because no jet can keep up with a sleigh that fast. They escort him, and they make sure the skies stay clear for his route.

The phone center is the human part of the system. More than 1,000 volunteers staff the phones at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado, and they answer calls from more than 200 countries. The volunteers sit in two-hour shifts through the night, and each one has a screen that shows Santa’s live place. When a child calls, the volunteer reads the screen and gives the answer. That is why the hotline feels so real, because a real person reads a real map.

When Does Santa Start? Start Times by Time Zone

Santa starts his trip on Christmas Eve, but the clock time depends on where you live. The trackers open at fixed times, and Santa reaches each place in turn as the night moves west. The table below gives the tracker start times, so you know when to open the map.

NORAD goes live at 4 AM Mountain Time, which is 6 AM Eastern Time and 3 AM Pacific Time. That early start covers Santa’s first stops in the far east, where Christmas Eve begins hours ahead of the United States. Google starts at about 10 AM UTC, which is 5 AM Eastern Time and 2 AM Pacific Time. Both trackers run for about 25 hours, until Santa finishes his route.

Santa reaches the United States in the evening, after he has crossed Asia, Europe, and the Atlantic. He visits the East Coast first, then moves west across the country through the night. The exact hour for your town is not published, because the story keeps it a surprise. A good rule is to check the map after dinner and watch him move closer. Kids should be in bed before he arrives, because Santa only stops at homes where children sleep.

Time zones can confuse the count, so keep one rule in mind. The tracker shows Santa’s place in local time for each stop, not in your time. When the map says Santa is in London, it means London time, not your time. The gift counter is the best guide to his progress, because it rises all night. When the counter passes the billions, he is close to your home.

7 Mistakes to Avoid With a Santa Tracker

Seven mistakes can spoil Christmas Eve, and each one is easy to prevent. Check the list before December 24, and the night will run without stress.

Mistake 1: Waiting until Christmas Eve to test the tracker. A slow connection, a blocked site, or an old app can break the night. Open the tracker a week early and check that the map loads. Install the app before December 24, not on the night. A five-minute test saves tears at bedtime.

Mistake 2: Using a fake tracker site. Many copycat sites use the name “Santa tracker” to show ads or collect clicks. Use only noradsanta.org and santatracker.google.com for the real trackers. A fake site can show wrong places and spoil the magic. Bookmark the real sites now.

Mistake 3: Telling kids an exact arrival time. The trackers show Santa’s place, not a fixed arrival time for your home. The story keeps the hour a surprise, and no tracker can promise a minute. Tell kids Santa comes after they sleep, and check the map together after dinner. A vague promise beats a broken one.

Mistake 4: Keeping the map open all day. The live map only starts on Christmas Eve, so an open tab on December 23 shows a countdown, not Santa. Open the tracker in the evening on December 24. Before that, use the village games on Google to fill the wait, and use our days until christmas calculator to count the days.

Mistake 5: Forgetting the time zone. NORAD starts at 4 AM Mountain Time, and Google starts at about 10 AM UTC. Those times are not your local time unless you live in that zone. Convert the start time to your zone before the night, so you do not open the map hours early or late.

Mistake 6: Letting the phone battery die. A tracker on a phone needs a full battery for the evening. Charge the phone and the tablet before dinner, and keep a charger near the sofa. A dead battery at 9 PM ends the tracking early, and kids notice fast.

Mistake 7: Skipping the backup plan. Wi-Fi can fail on Christmas Eve, when the whole street streams at once. Download the app in advance, and keep the phone number 1-877-HI-NORAD written on paper. If the map fails, call the hotline and a volunteer will tell you where Santa is. A paper backup never needs Wi-Fi.

Santa Tracker FAQ

What is the best Santa tracker?

NORAD Tracks Santa and Google Santa Tracker are the two best options. NORAD suits families who want the phone hotline and the classic map. Google suits families who want games and videos. Both are free, and both show Santa’s live place on Christmas Eve.

When can I track Santa?

Live tracking runs on Christmas Eve, December 24, only. NORAD goes live at 4 AM Mountain Time, and Google goes live at about 10 AM UTC. Before that date, the sites show a countdown and games. Santa’s trip lasts about 25 hours.

Is the NORAD Santa tracker free?

Yes, the NORAD Santa tracker is free. The website, the app, and the phone hotline all cost nothing. The program runs on volunteers and sponsors, and it has run every year since 1955. No account or payment is needed.

What is the NORAD Santa phone number?

The number is 1-877-HI-NORAD, which is 1-877-446-6723. Volunteers answer from 4 AM to midnight Mountain Time on Christmas Eve. They typically answer more than 130,000 calls, so be patient if the line is busy.

Is the Google Santa Tracker real?

The Google Santa Tracker is a fun simulation, not a real flight record. Google launched it on December 1, 2004, as a village of games with a live map on Christmas Eve. The map shows a story of Santa’s trip, built on Google Maps, and it is free for all ages.

How old is the NORAD Santa tracker?

The NORAD Santa tracker began in 1955, so it is 71 years old in 2026. It started by accident, when a child misdialed a Sears ad number and reached a military command center. Colonel Harry Shoup answered the call and started the tradition.

Can I track Santa on my iPhone?

Yes, you can track Santa on an iPhone with the NORAD app or the Google site in Safari. The NORAD app is free on the App Store, and the Google site works in any mobile browser. Add the site to your home screen for one-tap access on Christmas Eve.

Can I track Santa on Android?

Yes, both trackers work on Android. The NORAD app and the Google Santa Tracker app are both free on Google Play. The websites also work in Chrome on Android. Install the app before December 24 and test it once.

How many gifts does Santa deliver?

The trackers show a live gift counter that rises all night. The counter passes into the billions by the end of the trip, because Santa visits hundreds of millions of homes. The exact number is part of the story, and it changes each year as the count grows.

What time does Santa reach the United States?

Santa reaches the United States in the evening of Christmas Eve, after he crosses Asia and Europe. He visits the East Coast first and moves west through the night. The trackers do not publish an exact hour for each town, so check the map after dinner.

Does Santa tracker work without internet?

The live map needs internet, because it updates every few minutes. The NORAD phone hotline works without internet, so keep the number on paper as a backup. Some games in the Google app can work offline once they are loaded, but the map cannot.

Why does the tracker show Santa in a different place than my friend sees?

The map shows the same Santa for all users, but each screen may refresh at a different moment. A slow connection can show an older place. Refresh the page to get the latest spot. The gift counter also updates at a different pace on each device.

What should kids do while they wait for Santa?

Kids can play the games in the Google Santa Tracker village, which opens on December 1. They can also watch the NORAD videos, draw a picture for Santa, and check the countdown each morning. Pick the best apps for the wait from our christmas apps guide, and plan the New Year countdown next with our days until new year calculator.

Final Word

A Santa tracker turns Christmas Eve into a night the whole family remembers. Pick one tracker before the night, test it once, and keep the phone number on paper as a backup. NORAD gives the classic map and the live phone call, while Google gives the games and the village. Either one works, and both are free. Open the map after dinner, watch Santa cross each time zone, and send the kids to bed before he arrives. The magic works best when the plan is simple and the screen is ready.

Learn more about the man behind the story on Wikipedia: Santa Claus.