It’s Christmas Eve and Santa Claus is getting dressed for its annual journey from the North Pole to homes around the world. In keeping with decades of tradition, the North American Aerospace Command, or NORAD for short, will be there again Follow Santa’s journey to deliver presents to children before Christmas 2024, using an official map that is constantly updated to show where he is.

NORAD, the agency responsible for monitoring and defending the airspace over the United States and Canada, has tracked Santa Claus’ whereabouts every year since 1958. Its predecessor, the Continental Air Defense Command, led the project for three years before NORAD took over.

Here’s what you should know as the tracker tracks Santa’s journey this Christmas.

Where is Santa Claus right now?

Follow Santa’s progress on the live map on the NORAD website or follow updates on the agency’s Facebook. XInstagram and YouTube pages.

When will Santa Claus be at your home?

Although the NORAD tracker shows where Santa is at different points in his world tour so you can see how far Santa is from you, the map cannot predict when he will arrive at a specific household. NORAD says its information allows the tracker to follow Saint Nicholas on his Christmas journey, but cannot predict which itinerary or where he will travel next once he stops in one location.

“Only Santa Claus knows his route, so we cannot predict where and when he will arrive at your home,” NORAD writes on its website. “However, we know from history that he only seems to arrive when the children are asleep!”

According to NORAD experts, Santa Claus typically visits individual homes between 9 p.m. and midnight on Christmas Eve.

How does the Santa tracker work?

According to NORAD, the tracker relies on radar technology and satellites to keep an eye on Santa Claus. NORAD notes that these methods are the same methods the agency uses to protect the skies over North America. Its radar system, called the North American Warning System, includes 47 different checkpoints across northern Canada and Alaska.

“NORAD makes it a point to closely monitor radar each holiday season for signs of Santa Claus leaving the North Pole,” the website says. “As soon as our radar tells us that Santa Claus has taken off, we will begin using the same satellites that we use to provide aerial warning of possible missile launches toward North America.”

Families can also receive updates by phone from the NORAD Tracks Santa Operations Center – just call 1-877-HI-NORAD (1-877-446-6723) to speak with a NORAD representative who can provide you with Santa’s exact location. Lines will be open between 6 a.m. and midnight Eastern Time on December 24th.

More than 1,250 uniformed personnel from the U.S. and Canada volunteer to answer phone calls and emails NORAD receives on Christmas Eve while its Santa Tracker is in operation. Civilians from the US Department of Defense also help – and in some years the president and first lady too took part in answering some calls.

What else is there to know about the Santa Tracker?

According to NORAD, Santa Claus typically begins his Christmas journey at the International Date Line in the Pacific Ocean and then continues westward around the globe. This means that historically it first visits areas in the South Pacific before moving on to New Zealand, Australia, Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, Central America and South America, in that order.

“Keep in mind that Santa’s route can be affected by the weather, so it is truly unpredictable,” NORAD says, adding that it is “coordinating with Santa’s elf start staff to confirm his start time, but from this point on Santa Claus is in charge.” ”