How to track Santa on Christmas Eve
4 November 2026
The two best-known ways to track Santa on Christmas Eve are NORAD Tracks Santa (noradsanta.org and its app) and Google Santa Tracker (santatracker.google.com). Both show his sleigh moving around the world on 24 December and offer games in the run-up to Christmas. Christmas Eve 2026 is a Thursday.
NORAD Tracks Santa
NORAD – the North American Aerospace Defense Command, run jointly by the United States and Canada – has "tracked" Santa every Christmas Eve for decades. It is the original Santa tracker.
How NORAD started tracking Santa
The tradition began by accident in 1955. A Sears advertisement in a Colorado Springs newspaper printed a phone number for children to call Santa, but the number reached the operations hotline of CONAD, NORAD's predecessor. Colonel Harry Shoup, the director of operations on duty, played along and told callers he was tracking Santa to keep him safe. Accounts differ on whether the number was misprinted or misdialled, but the tradition stuck, and it carried on when NORAD replaced CONAD in 1958 (Smithsonian Magazine).
How to track Santa with NORAD
- Website: noradsanta.org, which has a live map on Christmas Eve and games and activities in December.
- App: the official NORAD Tracks Santa app for iPhone, iPad and Android.
- Phone: on Christmas Eve, volunteers answer calls on a North American number, 1-877-HI-NORAD (1-877-446-6723). From the UK this is an international call and may be charged, so check with your provider first.
Tracking starts on the morning of 24 December in North America, which is already daytime in the UK. NORAD says Santa typically begins at the International Date Line in the Pacific, where Christmas arrives first, and travels westward, so by the time UK children are going to bed he will be getting closer to Europe. Check the site on the day for the exact start time.
Google Santa Tracker
Google has run its own Santa Tracker since 2004. Before Christmas Eve, it opens as "Santa's Village", a festive site with games, coding activities and things to explore through December. On 24 December it switches to a live map following Santa and his reindeer as they deliver presents around the world.
- Website: santatracker.google.com
- Good for: younger children who enjoy the games and colourful village in the run-up to Christmas.
Google Santa Tracker and NORAD Tracks Santa are separate services. Some families watch both and compare.
NORAD vs Google Santa Tracker
| NORAD Tracks Santa | Google Santa Tracker | |
|---|---|---|
| Running since | 1955 | 2004 |
| Web address | noradsanta.org | santatracker.google.com |
| App | Yes, official NORAD Tracks Santa app | Website works on phones and tablets |
| Before Christmas Eve | Countdown, games and activities | Santa's Village with games and activities |
| On Christmas Eve | Live map of Santa's journey | Live map of Santa's journey |
| Phone line | Yes (North American number) | No |
What time does Santa arrive in the UK?
The trackers don't publish a timetable, and the story goes that Santa only arrives when children are fast asleep. That is the most useful answer for bedtime: use the tracker to show he is on his way, then explain that he won't stop at your house until everyone is asleep. Many families check the map one last time before bed, when he is usually still some way off.
Other ways to make Christmas Eve feel like Santa is near
- Look for the sleigh. On a clear evening, step outside and look up for a moving light. Our guide to stargazing with kids has ideas for what you might really see.
- Listen for bells. A jingle of sleigh bells from the garden after lights-out never fails.
- Leave out the essentials. Mince pie, a drink and a carrot for Rudolph – see Christmas Eve traditions in the UK.
- Name the reindeer. As you watch, see who can name all of Santa's reindeer.
Frequently asked questions
How can I track Santa on Christmas Eve from the UK?
Use NORAD Tracks Santa at noradsanta.org or its app, or Google Santa Tracker at santatracker.google.com. Both show Santa's journey on a live map on 24 December.
When does NORAD start tracking Santa?
NORAD's live tracking starts on the morning of Christmas Eve in North America, which is already daytime in the UK. Check noradsanta.org on the day for the exact start time.
Why does NORAD track Santa?
It began in 1955, when a Sears advertisement's phone number for Santa reached a US military operations hotline. Colonel Harry Shoup played along and told children he was tracking Santa, and the tradition has continued ever since.
Is Google Santa Tracker the same as NORAD?
No. They are separate services. NORAD Tracks Santa has run since 1955; Google Santa Tracker started in 2004. Both are free to use on the web.
What time will Santa come to my house?
Santa only comes when children are asleep, so there is no fixed time. The trackers show him getting closer through the evening, which is a good reason to go to bed early.