Where is Santa? How to watch his Christmas Eve journey live on NORAD, Google
He sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake and now, we know exactly where Santa Claus is as he travels around the world delivering presents to children on Christmas Eve.
And if you're looking for specifics on when exactly Santa will reach the U.S., both the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and Google have you covered this year with their live trackers following Saint Nick's once-a-year journey starting from the North Pole.
Luckily, Santa will have no trouble entering the U.S. this year, thanks to a transit permit issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The permit, given to Mr. S. Nicholas Claus of the North Pole, a distributor with Gifts and Good Cheer, Inc., will allow reindeer to enter and exit the U.S. between 6 p.m. on Dec. 24 and 6 a.m. on Dec. 25, local time, through or over any U.S. border port.
Here's what to know about following Santa's around the world trip this year.
How to follow NORAD's Santa tracker
The map tracking Santa's trip around the world will begin on Christmas Eve, or Dec. 24, from NORAD, a joint U.S.-Canada command responsible for protecting the skies over both nations.
USA TODAY is providing live coverage as NORAD tracks Santa's trip around the world, which will begin around 7 a.m. ET on Dec. 24. You can watch along on the video embed at the top of the page, on USA TODAY's YouTube channel or on NORAD's website.
NORAD's long history tracking Santa was born from a mistake in 1955. According to legend, an ad in a Colorado Springs newspaper invited children to call Santa but inadvertently listed the phone number for the Continental Air Defense Command, NORAD's predecessor, also based in Colorado Springs.
Officers played along. Since then, NORAD Tracks Santa has gone global, receiving calls from around the world and posting updates on social media for millions of fans, and updating its website following Santa's progress on Christmas Eve.
Hundreds of Canadian and American military personnel and civilians volunteer keep up with Santa. You can visit their website to keep up with Santa, or you can call a volunteer at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado.
Is there a 2023 Google Santa tracker?
NORAD is not the only agency or company to track Santa's journey around the world delivering gifts. This year, Google is again offering its own Santa tracker on its website and corresponding Santa Tracker 2023 app, which will also begin tracking on Christmas Eve.
Google isn't just offering Santa tracking this year, also including a family guide, quizzes and various Christmas-themed games to play.