NORAD needs volunteers for its Santa Tracker program on Christmas Eve, inviting participants to join in a tradition that has delighted millions since 1955.
NORAD is recruiting 1,000 volunteers who will take calls as children search for the jolly old elf on December 24.
Two-hour time slots for volunteers are available on Wednesday, December 24 from 4am to 10pm. Each volunteer is only allowed to sign up for one two-hour slot on Christmas Eve.
Volunteers must be at least 15 years of age. Volunteers must also have a REAL ID or other federally compliant form of identification. Volunteer registration is open online.
NORAD, headquartered in Colorado Springs, has tracked Santa as he travels around the world since 1955.
The US War Department said that on Christmas Eve in 2024, NORADSanta.org was viewed approximately 32 million times and its call center volunteers answered approximately 380,000 calls.
The call center will open on December 24 at 4am MT, 877-HI-NORAD (877-446-6723).
New in 2025, people can call directly to the NORAD Operations Center through the free calling option on the website, allowing millions of people overseas to call NORAD for updates about Santa’s visit.
The Santa Tracker program began in 1955, when a local Sears store in Colorado Springs ran a newspaper advertisement inviting children to call a certain phone number to talk to Santa. The number was misprinted, and the call went to Continental Air Defense Command, NORAD’s predecessor.
The colonel on duty that night realized his mistake. He ordered his officers and his soldiers to begin tracking Santa using his system and telling children where Santa was throughout the night.
According to the website, “While the tradition of tracking Santa began completely by accident, NORAD continues to track Santa.” “We’re the only organization that has the technology, capabilities, and people to do it. And, we love it! NORAD has the honor of being Santa’s official tracker!”
NORAD said it has 49 installations in Alaska and northern Canada to track Santa. NORAD said it also uses U.S. Air Force F-15, F-16, F-22 and Canadian Air Force CF-18 fighter jets to track Santa.
As the official tracker, NORAD has the scoop on Santa.
For example, their intelligence indicates that Santa is at least 16 centuries old, stands approximately 5-foot-7 inches tall and weighs approximately 260 pounds (before cookies) and the sleigh is 74 cc (candy canes) long and carries approximately 60,000 tons of gifts when flying.
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