When will Santa arrive in Vermont? Tracking by NORAD and Google

Katie Landeck, Burlington Free Press
·2 min read

It was the night before Christmas and all through the house, the children were wondering where's that guy Claus?

If you're looking to track Santa Claus's flight over Burlington and Vermont's other cities and towns this Christmas Eve, there are a few ways you can track the big guy with nearly the same accuracy as a late Amazon package.

The military is on it with the NORAD Santa Tracker, and Google, which often feels all-knowing, is also on the case with its own Santa Tracker.

Check out the trackers to see Santa's location:

See Santa's location with the NORAD Santa Tracker

NORAD is the most reliable name in Santa tracking. On the job since 1955, when a young child from Colorado Springs accidentally called in (he meant to call a number advertised by a local department store), they've been following Santa's journey using their radar technology ever since.

Now, NORAD, the joint U.S.-Canada command responsible for protecting the skies over both nations, staffs up for the big night, with a number available for children to call for status reports and an online tracker.

When does the NORAD Santa Tracker start?

On Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, of course.

You can keep track with the countdown below.

How do I follow Santa's journey with the NORAD tracker?

The tracker below will go live on Christmas Eve. If it doesn't load, it can be found at www.noradsanta.org

You can also call NORAD directly at +1 (877) HI-NORAD.

See Santa's location on the Google Santa Tracker

In 2004, Google started tracking Santa as well, because, well, there's a lot of interest in Old St. Nick. Google has a website and corresponding Santa Tracker 2023 app, which will also begin tracking on Christmas Eve.

While you're waiting around for Santa, Google's guide includes a family guide, quizzes and various Christmas-themed games to play.

Why might the NORAD Santa Tracker and Google Santa Tracker disagree?

All of our tracking technology is made for mere mortals, but Santa is magic, and he likes to create a little bit of mystery. It wouldn't do for children all over the world to be catching him as he comes down the chimney to deliver presents. He would never get any work done! So sometimes, to keep the magic alive, he throws off the trackers, just a little bit.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Where is Santa? Here's how you can find a Santa tracker map