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Where does Santa Claus live?
Did Santa Claus live near the North Pole?
Where does Santa live?
Did Nast find Santa at the North Pole?
The real Santa Claus—the historical figure upon which the legend is based—never lived anywhere near the North Pole. Saint Nicholas of Myra was a fourth-century bishop who lived and died far...
Dec 1, 2017 · Alaska has a Christmas-themed town known as North Pole, though it is actually nowhere near the North Pole. Other Arctic countries claim Santa's residence, mostly notably Finland.
- Jessie Szalay
- Overview
- Where is Santa right now?
- When will Santa come to your house?
- How does the Santa tracker work?
Santa Claus made his annual trip from the North Pole on Christmas Eve to deliver presents to children all over the world. And like it does every year, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, known as NORAD, has its official tracker following Santa's journey for Christmas 2023.
NORAD, which is responsible for protecting the skies over the United States and Canada, has been tracking Santa every Christmas Eve for the last 68 years.
As of about 6:30 a.m. ET on Christmas Day, NORAD says Santa has completed his rounds for this year, stopping in Hawaii and the South Pacific Islands after moving across the United States. Earlier he'd been tracked heading across Asia, Africa, Europe, and then South America. NORAD says he's delivered some 7.8 billion gifts.
You can monitor Santa's progress in NORAD's map below. [Note: The map works better on mobile devices; if you don't see it below you can click here to view it on NORAD's website.]
You can also follow updates on NORAD's Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube pages.
Operators were also standing by at 1-877-HI-NORAD for families who want to call for an update on Santa's whereabouts. Last year, NORAD and volunteers answered over 73,000 calls on Christmas Eve, according to the Pentagon.
According to NORAD, it's impossible to know because only Santa knows his route. But history suggests he only arrives when children are asleep, so anytime between 9 p.m. and midnight on December 24 is a good bet.
"If children are still awake when Santa arrives, he moves on to other houses. He returns later, but only when the children are asleep!" NORAD says.
NORAD uses a combination of radars, satellites and jet fighters, it says, to keep a watchful eye on Santa's progress.
Its radar system, called the North Warning System, monitors the North Pole every Christmas.
"The moment our radar tells us that Santa has lifted off, we begin to use the same satellites that we use in providing air warning of possible missile launches aimed at North America," NORAD's Santa tracker website says.
Satellites located 22,300 miles above the Earth with infrared sensors also help NORAD in its tracking duties.
"Rudolph's nose gives off an infrared signature similar to a missile launch," NORAD says. "The satellites detect Rudolph's bright red nose with no problem."
And finally, NORAD says Canadian and American jet fighters welcome Santa and his reindeer and escort them through North American airspace.
- CBS News
- 19 sec
Santa Tracker. Tracking Santa Around the Globe! As a public service, we're working with NORAD Tracks Santa to bring you live updates on Santa's Christmas Eve journey around the globe. Follow Santa, Rudolph and the rest of the reindeer around the world on Christmas Eve to see when they'll arrive.
Nov 21, 2021 · The most famous legend is that Santa Claus lives in a cosy residence at the North Pole. The North Pole is the northernmost spot on planet Earth – the northern tip of the Earth’s axis.
Dec 24, 2012 · Dec 24, 2012. 1 min read. Brian McClendon. VP of Google Maps and Google Earth. Listen to article. The North Pole air traffic control elves have just notified us that Santa has taken off! For the next day, you can visit the Google Santa Tracker to see where Santa’s headed next and keep tabs on how many presents he’s delivered.
Dec 24, 2021 · It’s located in the middle of the Arctic Ocean, on a big sheet of sea ice. If Santa does live at the North Pole, it seems like a pretty difficult - and possibly quite boring - place to live....
