Track Santa’s Progress on Christmas Eve

Worried about whether or not Santa will find you in your RV this Christmas? Staying at home and just want to keep tabs on old Kris Kringle’s progress? Thanks to the North American Aerospace Defense Command—aka NORAD—you can track him as he makes his appointed rounds. Each year, the organization uses high-tech RADAR and satellite communications systems to follow the jolly one as he rides across the globe while sharing his current position in real-time.

The Air Force first began tracking St. Nick in 1955 after a local department store printed the wrong phone number for a Santa hotline. Instead of reaching Father Christmas, the calls went to the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) headquarters in Colorado Springs, CO. As the story goes, a quick-thinking colonel named Henry Shoup was on duty that night and started answering questions from callers regarding Santa’s whereabouts.

As the phone continued to ring, Shoup assigned another officer to answer those calls and provide updates on Santa’s location. That went on all night, and the CONAD team had so much fun that they decided to make it an annual event. And when NORAD formed three years later, it picked up the torch and has carried on the tradition ever since.

Photo Credit: AnuraDsgn/Getty

Today, NORAD uses a host of technologies and online outlets to provide updates on Santa’s progress. The organization now has a website and mobile apps (iOS/Android) for tracking his sleigh, as well as an online newsroom that posts the latest status reports. Eager fans of Mr. Kringle can also get the latest news on his once-a-year ride on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube or by calling 1-877-Hi-NORAD.

Tracking Santa’s progress starts early on Christmas Eve as he begins delivering gifts on the far side of the planet. Those interested in watching his progress can check in throughout the day as he visits other parts of the world before eventually arriving in North American airspace. NORAD says that it receives millions of unique visitors —from more than 200 countries—to its websites and social media platforms, making it one of its busiest days of the year.

Visit the NORAD Tracks Santa webpage for more information. And Happy holidays from all of us at RV Magazine.

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