As Christmas Eve 2025 draws near, excitement builds globally for Santa Claus’s annual journey. Children and adults alike eagerly anticipate tracking the man in red as he embarks on his whirlwind tour across the globe. To help families follow Santa's progress and estimate his arrival, two popular interactive platforms—the NORAD Santa Tracker and the Google Santa Tracker—offer real-time updates, detailed maps, and festive activities.
NORAD Santa Tracker: A Cherished Holiday Tradition
For over 65 years, the NORAD Santa Tracker has been an integral part of holiday celebrations, helping families worldwide follow Santa’s whereabouts. This beloved tradition began in 1955 due to a misprinted phone number in a Sears advertisement, which inadvertently directed children to call NORAD’s predecessor, the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD), instead of Santa.
Colonel Harry Shoup, then the director of operations, embraced the unexpected calls, instructing his staff to provide updates on Santa’s location to every child who phoned in. NORAD proudly continues this heartwarming tradition to this day, ensuring children can always connect with Santa’s journey.
How To Track Santa With NORAD
- Visit the NORAD Santa Tracker website.
- On Christmas Eve, the live map will display Santa’s current location and his next destination.
- For a more traditional experience, call the NORAD Tracks Santa hotline at 1-877-HI-NORAD (1-877-446-6723) to speak directly with a volunteer who will provide Santa’s latest coordinates.
- Follow NORAD’s social media channels for regular updates throughout the day.
This year, NORAD has enhanced its tracking experience by introducing Radar, an AI chatbot designed to provide instant updates on Santa’s journey.
The Evolution Of Google’s Santa Tracker
Since its launch in 2004, Google’s Santa Tracker has continuously evolved, serving as a creative playground for the team to test new technologies and implement design innovations. Many of these experimental features, such as "View in 3D," are later integrated into other Google products and services, showcasing the tracker's role beyond just holiday fun.
What’s In The 2025 Google Santa Tracker
Google’s Santa Tracker returns for its 21st year, offering the familiar and beloved Santa’s Village experience. Throughout December, the site features a variety of games, videos, and interactive activities, with the live tracker launching on Christmas Eve.
This year’s collection includes classic games like Elf Ski and Penguin Dash, alongside creative educational activities such as Santa’s Canvas and Code Lab. As always, Google leverages the Santa Tracker project to test cutting-edge technologies that often find their way into other Google products.
On Christmas Eve, the live map will display Santa’s current location, his next destination, his distance from your location, and an estimated arrival time. The tracking officially begins at midnight in the furthest east time zone (10:00 a.m. UTC) as Santa commences his journey from the International Date Line in the Pacific Ocean.
For each city Santa visits, the tracker provides engaging Wikipedia excerpts and vibrant photos, transforming the experience into a magical geography lesson wrapped in holiday cheer.
How To Use The Google Santa Tracker
- Visit the Google Santa Tracker website or download the mobile app for Android devices.
- On Christmas Eve, the live map will show Santa’s current location, the number of gifts delivered, and his estimated arrival time at your location.
- Explore the interactive map to learn more about the 500+ locations Santa visits, complete with photos and insightful information contributed by Google’s Local Guides.
Extra Features & Activities
Beyond the engaging games, the platform showcases richly detailed animated environments. Users can explore cozy kitchens where elves prepare holiday treats or snowy outdoor scenes bustling with winter activities. The entire experience is brought to life with Google’s signature bright and cheerful art style, featuring colorful illustrations that capture the magic of North Pole life.
Whether practicing basic coding concepts or discovering holiday traditions from around the world, children (and the young at heart) can explore and learn while counting down to Christmas.
To All, A Good Night
Settle in this Christmas Eve with your favorite holiday snack and follow Santa’s incredible journey using either the Google or NORAD Santa Tracker. With an estimated 2.2 billion homes to visit, it’s going to be a very busy night for Santa!
Don’t forget to leave out your carrots and mince pies. Happy holidays from all of us at Search Engine Journal!
Featured Image: Roman Samborskyi/Shutterstock
