The North American Aerospace Defense Command activated its Santa Tracker on December 24, 2025, allowing families worldwide to monitor Santa Claus’s global journey in real time. From its Colorado Springs headquarters, NORAD employs radar, satellites and infrared sensors to follow the sleigh’s path, starting from the North Pole and progressing through time zones as gifts are delivered. As of mid-morning Eastern Time, the tracker reported Santa departing the International Date Line, with over 1 billion presents distributed, according to live updates on the official website. The program, marking its 70th year, draws millions of users annually through web access, mobile apps and social media feeds.
Southern Maryland residents can access the tracker via noradsanta.org, where a 3D map displays Santa’s current position, next stops and total deliveries. The site also features holiday games, videos and a countdown clock, available in multiple languages. Call centers staffed by more than 1,000 volunteers handle inquiries at 1-877-HI-NORAD, fielding questions about Santa’s route and reindeer team. For mobile users, apps on iOS and Android provide push notifications for regional arrivals, enabling families in areas like Calvert County or St. Marys County to anticipate Santa’s flyover around local landmarks such as the Patuxent River Naval Air Station.
This year’s operation incorporates advanced geospatial technology, including partnerships with corporations for enhanced mapping. NORAD reports no disruptions from weather or airspace issues, ensuring seamless tracking through the evening. The command center processes data from ground-based radars and geo-synchronous satellites, cross-referencing with historical patterns to predict Santa’s speed, estimated at faster than the speed of sound to complete the circuit in 24 hours.
The tradition attracts educational interest, with schools using the tracker to teach geography and science concepts. In Southern Maryland, where military ties run deep due to installations like Naval Air Station Patuxent River, the program highlights aerospace capabilities in a family-friendly context. Local media outlets, including the Southern Maryland Chronicle, have covered the tracker’s availability in past years, noting its role in holiday routines for regional households.
NORAD, a binational U.S.-Canadian organization, integrates the Santa mission into its aerospace warning duties without additional taxpayer costs, relying on volunteer support and corporate sponsors. The website logs peak traffic in the hours before midnight in each time zone, with archived videos from previous years available for review.
The program’s origins trace to 1955, when a Sears department store advertisement in Colorado Springs misprinted a phone number, directing children to call the Continental Air Defense Command operations center instead of Santa. Col. Harry Shoup, the duty officer, received the first call and instructed staff to provide location updates, establishing the custom. CONAD continued the effort until NORAD assumed responsibility in 1958, expanding it with technological advancements over decades. Early iterations involved simple phone reports, evolving to internet-based tracking in 1997 and mobile integration by 2009.
By the 1980s, NORAD formalized volunteer programs, drawing participants from military personnel and civilians. The initiative gained international reach, with translations and collaborations extending to over 200 countries. Historical data indicates Santa visits the South Pacific first, then Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas, adjusting for time differences. NORAD’s fact sheets detail how infrared sensors detect Rudolph’s nose, blending whimsy with real defense tech explanations.
In 2025, commemorating 70 years, NORAD highlighted the program’s endurance through a special feature on its site, including a timeline of milestones. The Department of Defense released statements emphasizing its community outreach value, noting over 15 million website visits in 2024. For Southern Maryland, where aviation heritage influences local culture, the tracker serves as an accessible introduction to radar systems used in daily operations at nearby bases.
Technical aspects include a dedicated operations floor where analysts monitor feeds, ensuring accuracy in location reports. Sponsors like Microsoft provide mapping software, while Amazon Web Services hosts the platform for high traffic. The program avoids commercial endorsements, focusing on free public access.
Background on NORAD reveals its formation in 1958 amid Cold War tensions to detect aerial threats. Headquartered at Peterson Space Force Base, it monitors North American airspace with a staff of 1,500. The Santa Tracker represents one of its public engagement efforts, alongside exercises and missile warning systems. Annual preparations begin in November, with testing of tracking tools to handle global demand.
NORAD assures the tracker’s reliability, with backups for any technical issues. As evening approaches in the Eastern Time Zone, updates will show Santa nearing the U.S., concluding his route by early December 25.