For 70 years, NORAD, or the North American Aerospace Defense Command, has tracked the jolly elf. The mission to bring Christmas cheer continues in 2025.

The joint U.S. and Canadian military agency, which is normally tasked with protecting North American airspace, has once again launched its Santa tracker website.

In addition to tracking Santa’s movements on Christmas Eve, there are games, videos, a NORAD shop, songs, and even some history of the tracker.

The group also has an app, or if you want an “old-fashioned Christmas,” a phone number to call. 877-HI-NORAD will be open on Dec. 24.

NORAD’s predecessor, the Continental Air Defense Command, or CONAD, started tracking Santa in 1955 after a misprinted phone number had children who wanted to call a Santa hotline get a military command’s number.

Santa tracker came into being when Col. Harry Shoup, who was on duty that night, realized kids were trying to call the big man, and so he stood in for Santa.

The agency says, “We’re the only organization that has the technology, the qualifications, and the people to do it. And, we love it! NORAD is honored to be Santa’s official tracker!”

Calls come in from all over the world and the tracking is done by volunteers at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado and corporate donors who pay for nearly all of the costs, NORAD said.

The group said that Santa starts at the International Date Line and does his global trip visiting the South Pacific, New Zealand, Australia, then Japan, Asia, Africa, Western Europe, Canada, the U.S., Mexico, Central America and South America, with the warning that the route may change due to weather.

“NORAD coordinates with Santa’s Elf Launch Staff to confirm his launch time, but from that point on, Santa calls the shots. We just track him!," they said.

NORAD said fighter jets have intercepted Santa many times over the decades, and when they do, they tip their wings to say “Hello.” They also have photos and videos of Santa traversing the globe.

The agency also gave some “specs” on Santa’s sleigh.

It was made by K. Kringle & Elves, Inc., with a first flight in 343 A.D. It is 75 candy canes (cc) or 150 lollipops (lp) long, 40 cc/80 lp wide and 55 cc/110 lp high without its nine reindeer. Speaking of reindeer, the sleigh has an armament of antlers which are “purely defensive,” and it is fueled by hay, oats and carrots for the reindeer to take flight.

The sleigh’s top speed is “faster than starlight” and has a climbing speed of one “twinkle of an eye.”

It carries about 60,000 tons of gifts.

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