Track When Santa Makes His Way to Arizona

If you're like me, you have to know where Santa is in the world and roughly when he'll make it to your house so you're not awake when he does.

Luckily, the fine folks at NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) use their fancy radar system to keep a keen eye on good old St. Nick.

The Tradition Tracking Santa Claus

One of my sweetest memories of Christmas is when my family and I spent the night at my grandparents' house every year.

I vividly recall asking how Santa knew where we were, and the wonderful adults always assured us that, of course, he knew—because he was Santa!

As the night drew near, we'd gather around the TV, excitedly watching WJRT from Flint, Michigan, as they tracked Santa’s location with their weather radar.

That's when we knew it was bedtime! Like most kids, we were bubbling with excitement about what surprise Santa would bring and leave under the Christmas tree.

NORAD Santa Tracker History and Tracking Santa in Arizona

NORAD is located in Colorado offers a high-tech option for tracking Santa Claus. The defense organization began tracking Santa in 1955 under the name CONAD (Continental Air Defense Command), switching to NORAD in 1958.

On Christmas Eve, the tracking begins as Santa starts his journey around the world.

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To help with your anticipation, NORAD offers fun games, interesting facts about Christmas around the world, and more tidbits about Santa and his sleigh. Did you know that Santa's sleigh weighs 75,000 gumdrops and took its first flight in 343 A.D.?

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Thank you, NORAD, I learned a lot.

If I were you, I'd put the app on my phone or tablet to make sure I know exactly where Santa is at any given moment.