Norad Santa tracker – LIVE: Follow Santa Claus as he delivers Christmas gifts on global journey

Santa Claus and his reindeer are rocketing around the globe, with billions of stops to make in less than 24 hours.

Father Christmas has already soared past locations around the world, from Nunavut, northern Canada, to southern Chile, with multiple trips through the Caribbean.

Every Christmas Eve, Norad – the North American Aerospace Defense Command – provides real-time tracking of Santa’s sleigh as it navigates the skies.

The cherished tradition dates back to 1955 when a misprint in a department store advert led a young child to call a Colorado military command center asking to speak to Santa Claus.

Air Force Colonel Harry Shoup, who picked up the call that night, played along and assured the child he was Santa. As more calls poured in, he assigned an officer to handle the queries, starting a festive custom that Norad continued after its creation in 1958.

For decades, Norad has swapped its usual airspace monitoring duties to answer children’s questions about Santa’s journey and his astonishing present-delivery operation. Each year, at least 100,000 kids call into the organisation to inquire about Santa’s location. Millions more follow online – in nine languages – as St Nick swoops along the earth’s meridians.

Stay tuned for updates as we follow Santa’s magical route across the world.

Key points

• Watch Live: Norad tracks Santa’s annual journey delivering presents around the world

• Santa Claus and his reindeer have officially taken off

• How to track Santa’s journey

• Why did Norad start tracking Santa?

• ‘He’s one of the best aviators we’ve ever seen'

• ‘Rudolph might have some serious competition this year'

Santa 'describing shortness of breath'

03:40 , Vishwam Sankaran

The European Society of Cardiology has joined in on the fun, claiming that the “75-year-old” Santa Claus has been experiencing shortness of breath even on minimal exertion for the last 6 months.

“Due to obesity, he is hypercholesterolemic and diabetic on insulin,” the non-profit organisation which aims to reduce the burden of heart disease posted on X.

Santa delivers over 6 billion gifts

03:51 , Vishwam Sankaran

Norad’s Santa tracker reveals the old man has delivered a record 6 billion gifts at the time of this writing.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command’s real time tracking of Santa and his reindeer has revealed that he has delivered billions of gifts so far.

As of this writing, he’s currently near Connecticut in the US in the northern defence command’s 68th year of tracking Santa’s sleigh.

Scientists reveal what Santa looks like

03:19 , Vishwam Sankaran

Scientists used 3D modelling to reveal Santa’s face for the first time in almost 1,700 years of his history.

The legend of Santa Claus can be traced back to Christian monk Saint Nicholas of Myra, who lived in modern-day Turkey sometime between 270 and 343 AD.

Saint Nicholas was described as an old man who punished children who misbehaved and rewarded well-behaved ones with gifts.

The new study, published earlier this month in the journal OrtogOnLineMag, rebuilt the Saint’s face from his skull with researchers describing it as “strong and gentle”.

“The skull has a very robust appearance, generating a strong face,” Brazilian 3D designer Cicero Moraes, who was behind the study, said.

Researchers say his thick beard was similar to how we think of Santa Claus.

‘Rudolph might have some serious competition this year'

02:48 , Josh Marcus

The U.S. Department of Interior is joining in on the Santa fun, and has pitched a new member for the sleigh squadron.

I’m not so sure this guy will be able to fly, but I admire his enthusiam nonetheless.

Santa is back in the Caribbean

02:29 , Josh Marcus

After some passes through Greenland and Canada, Santa is back in warmer climes.

His sleigh just passed Puerto Rico.

He’s delivered 5,442,632,150 so far.

Personally, I’m hoping for some new pairs of socks. A cliché gift perhaps, but you can’t have too many.

Santa’s sleigh nears the North Pole

01:53 , Josh Marcus

Santa is passing above Greenland around the globe.

Perhaps St. Nick can settle the ongoing diplomatic tension caused by Donald Trump claiming he wants to take over the territory.

Trump wants to purchase Greenland. How would that actually work?

Santa soars above the Caribbean

01:35 , Josh Marcus

That Santa Claus sure moves fast.

The red rocket has been spotted above the island nation of Sint Maarten.

The Independent last covered Sint Maarten on news of this dramatic ocean rescue.

Warship rescues crew of sinking tug in the Caribbean

‘He’s one of the best aviators we’ve ever seen'

00:53 , Josh Marcus

U.S. military personnel may have access to high-tech jets and drones, but they’ve still got respect for the good ol’ sleigh.

“We know Santa has been doing this for over 2,000 years. He is one of the best aviators we have ever seen. ... In his 2,000 years plus, he has never had an accident,” 2nd Lt. Tyler Turnmire, with the 601 Air Operations Center at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida, told news station WSAW.

According to NORAD, Mr. Claus is currently above the Chile-Argentina border.

Santa nears the Faroe Islands

Tuesday 24 December 2024 23:55 , Josh Marcus

Maybe Santa is looking for some R&R on his round-the-world journey, because NORAD is showing Santa’s sleigh nearing the Faroe Islands, a self-governing archipelago nation within the Kingdom of Denmark.

The islands have become a haven for travelers in recent years, described as one of Europe’s best kept secrets.

Don’t rest too long, St. Nick, there are still so many presents to be delivered!

Shhh, I’m on vacation. Travelers are on a quest for the quiet

‘Exhilarating’ islands with stunning scenery are Europe’s best kept secret

Santa en route to Liberia

Tuesday 24 December 2024 23:25 , Alexander Butler

Santa Claus is en route to Monrovia, Liberia, where he is set to deliver sackfuls of presents to the West African country’s 5.5million population.

Liberia was founded in 1822 as an outpost for freed American slaves returning to Africa from bondage in the Americas. It eventually became a commonwealth, and achieved independence in 1847.

The capital, Monrovia, is named after the fifth US president James Monroe, who supported the territory’s colonisation and helped fund its establishment.

Santa en route to Barcelona, Spain

Tuesday 24 December 2024 22:42 , Alexander Butler

Santa Claus is now en route to Barcelona, Spain. The Catalan capital is home to just under two million people - a lot of chimneys for Father Christmas to climb down.

Santa visits Sarajevo

Tuesday 24 December 2024 21:41 , Alexander Butler

Santa Claus just dropped off sackfuls of presents to Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia, in time for Christmas Day morning.

Sarajevo has a population of just under 300,000 and is surrounded by the majestic Dinaric Alps once used by the Bosnian Serbs to besiege the city during the break up of Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

Next stop Angola

Tuesday 24 December 2024 20:50 , Alexander Butler

Santa Claus is now en route to Luanda, the capital of Angola. It is a port city on the west coast of Southern Africa, home to around 9million people.

Father Christmas brings presents to South Africa

Tuesday 24 December 2024 20:42 , Alexander Butler

Father Christmas has made it all the way to South Africa to deliver his presents after setting off from the North Pole earlier today.

He arrived on his sleigh in Johannesburg just now, a vibrant city of just six million. He is now en route to Cape Town to drop off more presents made by his crafty hard-working elves.

Santa lands in Bethlehem

Tuesday 24 December 2024 20:14 , Alexander Butler

Santa Claus has landed in Bethlehem. The Palestinian town in the West Bank is the birthplace of Jesus Christ and where the Christian Church of the Nativity is.

Why did Norad start tracking Santa?

Tuesday 24 December 2024 20:00 , Alexander Butler

The tradition began in 1955, when a child mistakenly rang a Colorado military command asking to speak to Father Christmas – after a local newspaper ran an advert by a department store containing a misprinted phone number.

As more calls came in that night, Commander Shoup assigned a duty officer to continue answering the phone, birthing a tradition that passed over to Norad when it was formed in 1958.

Every year since, the agency — which defends and monitors the skies over North America — has fielded children’s questions about the red-and-white-clad chimney intruder and his unrivaled delivery schedule.

What route does Santa take?

Tuesday 24 December 2024 19:30 , Alexander Butler

Santa usually starts at the International Date Line in the Pacific Ocean and travels west.

So, historically, Santa visits the South Pacific first, then New Zealand and Australia. After that, he shoots up to Japan, over to Asia, across to Africa, then onto Western Europe, Canada, the United States, Mexico and Central and South America.

“Keep in mind, Santa’s route can be affected by weather, so it’s really unpredictable,” Norad states on its website.

When will Santa arrive at my house?

Tuesday 24 December 2024 19:00 , Alexander Butler

“NORAD tracks Santa, but only Santa knows his route,” the military organization’s website states, “which means we cannot predict where and when he will arrive at your house. We do, however, know from history that it appears he arrives only when children are asleep! In most countries, it seems Santa arrives between 9:00 p.m. and midnight on December 24th. If children are still awake when Santa arrives, he moves on to other houses. He returns later, but only when the children are asleep!”

Next stop International Space Station

Tuesday 24 December 2024 18:41 , Alexander Butler

Santa Claus is now bound for the International Space Station (ISS) - in orbit around 250 miles above earth’s atmosphere.

There are seven crew members currently at the ISS awaiting Santa’s sleigh: Alexey Ovchinin, Suni Williams,Butch Wilmore, Ivan Vagner, Don Pettit, Aleksandr Gorbunov, and Nick Hague.

First stop in Africa!

Tuesday 24 December 2024 18:17 , Alexander Butler

Santa Claus and his nine reindeers have made their first stop in Africa. They touched down, bearing gifts, in Mogadishu, Somalia, just now.

Mogadishu has a population of around 2.5million. It is the capital of the East African country and has served as an important trading city for millennia - something Santa well understands.

Next stop Tehran

Tuesday 24 December 2024 17:51 , Alexander Butler

Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, Rudolph, and Santa Claus, are now heading to Tehran.

The Iranian capital is home to around 10million people. Iranians who have converted to Christianity from Islam can only practise their faith in secret.

Santa reaches Pakistan

Tuesday 24 December 2024 17:17 , Alexander Butler

Santa Claus has now reached Karachi, Pakistan. It is the largest city in Pakistan and 12th largest in the world, with a population of over 20million.

This is about 13million short of New Delhi, where Santa visited earlier, but still a huge amount of people to deliver presents for.

To the Maldives!

Tuesday 24 December 2024 17:02 , Alexander Butler

Santa Claus is now heading further south to the Maldive Islands, and archipelago with a population of around 500,000 people.

It is made up of an impressive 1,192 islands but is still the smallest country on the entire Asian continent, with a land area of 298 square kilometres.

Full speed to Sri Lanka

Tuesday 24 December 2024 16:57 , Alexander Butler

Santa Claus is now speeding ahead across the entire Indian subcontinent to Sri Lanka - a small island nation located at the southern tip of India.

He will stop at the capital city of Colombo, a place home to just under 1million people. A small city compared to New Dheli, but still many presents for Santa to deliver in time for Christmas Day.

Next stop India!

Tuesday 24 December 2024 16:53 , Alexander Butler

Santa and his by now, surely hungry reindeers, have just landed in New Dheli, India. The capital city is home to a whopping 34million people - so a lot of presents for those who have been nice this year.

Santa lands in Kazakhstan

Tuesday 24 December 2024 16:36 , Alexander Butler

Santa has now reached the Kazakhstan capital Astana. He will now make his way to Kyrgyzstan, a land-locked central Asian country bordering China.

Santa and his reindeers fly over Russia

Tuesday 24 December 2024 16:31 , Alexander Butler

Santa is now flying over Russia after dropping presents off in Norilsk, a closed city some 300km north of the Arctic Circle.

It is 2,4000km from Santa’s home in the North Pole. He is now flying south to the Burmistrovo, a settlement in Russia.

Santa has reached Tibet!

Tuesday 24 December 2024 16:15 , Alexander Butler

Santa has just flown across Myanmar and landed in Lhasa, Tibet. He will now be heading to Zhangye, the northern Chinese city near the border with Mongolia.

Thailand is up!

Tuesday 24 December 2024 15:57 , Albert Toth

Santa has now travelled up out of Indonesia and into Thailand, where he has just visited the capital, Bangkok. He’ll now be heading east again to deliver presents to Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos.

This part of the world is called Mainland Southeast Asia, but is also known as Indochina.

Santa heads to Singapore

Tuesday 24 December 2024 15:45 , Albert Toth

With Indonesia checked off, Santa heads back across the South China Sea to Singapore. There’s a few islands along the way here which he’s also been sure to take care of.

Santa visits Christmas Island

Tuesday 24 December 2024 15:35 , Albert Toth

Santa has just dropped off all of his presents for Christmas Island, an Australian territory off the coast of Indonesia.

The small island has a population of just under 1,700, and was named after its discovery on Christmas Day by English sailor Captain William Mynors – in 1643!

Next stop – back to Indonesia!

Australia gets all of its presents!

Tuesday 24 December 2024 15:30 , Albert Toth

Santa has just made his last stop in Australia, travelling from Perth to Geraldton. Now for a long journey across the Indian Ocean for a stop at... Christmas Island!

(I bet that’s one of his favourites).

Santa hits 1.5 billion presents delivered!

Tuesday 24 December 2024 15:16 , Albert Toth

The night has barely begun, but Santa’s already delivered 1.5 billion presents to people across the world. So far he’s visited New Zealand, the Philippines, Japan, and parts of Australia, China and Russia.

Next stop – back down under to Western Australia!

From China to Brunei – Santa’s hard at work

Tuesday 24 December 2024 15:12 , Albert Toth

Santa has just made a long trip across central China, taking him from Hong Kong to Chongqing to Haikou. He’s now just dipped off the south coast to travel across the South China Sea and visit Brunei.

Next up, Hong Kong!

Tuesday 24 December 2024 14:52 , Albert Toth

With the Philippines checked off, Santa heads back northwards to the bustling Hong Kong.

Taiwan down, billions to go

Tuesday 24 December 2024 14:46 , Albert Toth

Santa has just make a quick stop at Taiwan on his was to the Philippines, taking him back to the equator.

Santa travels across the Yellow Sea to Shanghai

Tuesday 24 December 2024 14:42 , Albert Toth

Have you heard of the Yellow Sea? It’s located between China and the Korean region – and Santa just travelled over it to get to Shangai, the biggest city in China.

Next stop – Taiwan!

Santa makes a stop at the Great Wall of China

Tuesday 24 December 2024 14:36 , Albert Toth

Squeezing in a little sightseeing, Santa has just delivered presents to everyone who lives near the Great Wall of China. At 13,171 miles the ancient structure is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Next stop is China’s capital – Beijing!

After South Korea, Santa heads to China

Tuesday 24 December 2024 14:30 , Albert Toth

Santa has now completed his trip across South Korea and – after a trip to Pyongyang, the capital city of North Korea – reaches China, the world’s second most populous country at 1.4 billion people.

He’s got his work cut out for him!

Santa leaves Japan, heads to South Korea

Tuesday 24 December 2024 14:23 , Albert Toth

From Tokyo to Okinawa, Santa has finished his work in Japan in just ten short minutes. His sleigh now heads to South Korea where his first stop is Jeju Island.

Santa reaches Japan

Tuesday 24 December 2024 14:11 , Albert Toth

After a short skip across the Pacific Ocean, Santa has now reached Sapporo, at the northern tip of Japan. He be now making his way south, being sure to visit all the islands that make up the East Asian nation.

Next stop is the capital city – Tokyo!

More than one billion gifts now delivered

Tuesday 24 December 2024 14:00 , Tara Cobham

Santa Claus has already delivered more than one billion gifts to children around the globe.

Next stop – Japan!

Santa leaves Australia and is now delivering gifts in East Timor before West Papua

Tuesday 24 December 2024 13:52 , Tara Cobham

Santa has left Australia and is now heading to East Timor to deliver gifts.

He has just stopped in Dili.

Next he will be in Sorong, West Papua.