Radar, Reindeer, and a Wrong Number: The Incredible Story of NORAD Tracks Santa

Every Christmas Eve, millions of families around the globe tune in to see a very specific blip on a digital map. We watch as a sleigh led by a glowing red nose traverses continents, delivering joy at supersonic speeds. But have you ever wondered how the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD)—an organization tasked with aerospace control and maritime warning—became the official tracker of Father Christmas?

It wasn’t a planned PR campaign or a high-level government initiative. It all started with a simple typo and a colonel with a big heart. The legend began in Colorado Springs in 1955. A local Sears Roebuck & Co. advertisement invited children to call Santa Claus on a "private phone" number. However, the number printed in the newspaper was off by one digit.

Instead of reaching a jolly man in a red suit at a department store, the calls went straight to the secret "Red Phone" at the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Operations Center. When the phone rang, Colonel Harry Shoup answered. Expecting a high-level military emergency, he was instead greeted by a small, hesitant voice asking, "Is this Santa Claus?" Shoup, initially confused and notoriously stern, realized what had happened when the child started crying. He quickly pivoted, identifying himself as Santa, and spent the rest of the night assigning his staff to check the radar for signs of a sleigh heading south from the North Pole.

Colonel Shoup (who later became known as the "Santa Colonel") saw an opportunity to bring some warmth to the Cold War era. In 1958, when CONAD transitioned into NORAD, the tradition was officially adopted.

What began as a single phone line has evolved into a massive, multi-media operation. Today, the NORAD Tracks Santa program is a global phenomenon, available in eight languages. Despite its growth, the mission remains the same: to provide children with "real-time" updates on Santa’s progress using the most sophisticated technology available to the military.

So how do they track him now? NORAD doesn’t just guess where Santa is; they use a sophisticated "four-pillar" tracking system.  They use radar in the form of the North Warning System, a powerful line of 47 radar installations across Canada and Alaska, picks up the moment Santa departs the North Pole. They also use satellites because the infrared  sensors on satellites in geostationary orbit detect the heat signature from Rudolph’s bright red nose, allowing NORAD to track the sleigh's path through the atmosphere.

In addition, there is a  network of high-tech "Santa Cams" positioned at various points around the world captures video of the sleigh as it passes famous landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty.

Finally, in  a show of ultimate escort service, Canadian CF-18s and American F-15, F-16, or F-22 fighter jets intercept and welcome Santa to North American airspace, flying alongside the reindeer until he completes his mission.

While the technology is impressive, the real magic happens at the NORAD headquarters in Colorado. Every December 24th, more than 1,500 volunteers—including military personnel, their families, and community members—join the call center. They answer over 150,000 phone calls and millions of emails from children around the world.

The program is funded entirely through corporate sponsorships and the dedicated time of volunteers, costing taxpayers nothing. It stands as a beautiful reminder of how a single act of kindness by a Colonel in 1955 can turn a "wrong number" into a worldwide legacy of wonder. Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great Holiday.