ATLANTA – Santa Claus is coming to town and you can follow his magical journey with the NORAD Santa Tracker, a popular tradition that dates back to 1955.

The tradition began by accident when a department store misprinted a phone number in a newspaper ad asking children to call Santa Claus. Instead, the number is associated with the Continental Air Defense Command, NORAD’s predecessor. This Christmas Eve, officers answered dozens of calls from children asking, “Where is Santa Claus and when will he arrive at my house?”

Today, NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) continues the tradition, using a network of satellites to track Santa’s sleigh. According to NORAD spokesman Waser, Santa Claus’ journey generally begins west of the International Date Line and travels from north to south around the globe. Rudolph’s glowing nose even helps satellites locate Santa’s sleigh during his travels.

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Every Christmas Eve, NORAD receives hundreds of thousands of calls, and a large team of volunteers work to keep the magic alive. Santa and his reindeer have already launched from the North Pole and our team is on standby at the Fox 5 Santa Tracker Command Center to keep you updated on his progress. Happy tracking!