NORAD’s Santa Tracker, the beloved decades-old tradition of virtually following Santa Claus as he delivers gifts to children around the world, returns Christmas Eve for its 69th year.

NORAD's "Track Santa" website went live Dec. 1 but the real fun began on Christmas Eve, which is when visitors will be able to track Santa's route from 4 a.m. to midnight MST / 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. EST.

NORAD’s annual tracking of Santa has endured since the Cold War, predating ugly sweater parties and Mariah Carey classics. The tradition continues regardless of government shutdowns, such as the ...

As it does every year, NORAD, the North American Aerospace Command, tracked Santa on his trip around the world on Christmas Eve so children and families could see where he was.

NORAD’s annual tracking of Santa has endured since the Cold War, predating ugly sweater parties and Mariah Carey classics. AP All it takes is a few clicks for kids to see Santa's trajectory.

For more on the NORAD Tracks Santa program, and Shoup's beloved legacy as "the Santa Colonel," listen to the Coloradoan's history podcast The Way it Was, which took on the program for a 2018 episode.

NORAD's Santa tracker was a Cold War morale boost. Now it attracts millions of kids Each year, at least 100,000 kids worldwide call the North American Aerospace Defense Command to inquire about ...

FILE – NORAD Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Charles D. Luckey takes a call while volunteering at the NORAD Tracks Santa center at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colo., Dec. 24, 2014.

NORAD's Santa tracker was a Cold War morale boost. Now it attracts millions of kids Each year, at least 100,000 kids worldwide call the North American Aerospace Defense Command to inquire about ...

NORAD said Santa got back to the North Pole shortly after 5 a.m. EST. Santa's arrival times. Although the NORAD tracker reflected where Santa was at different points on his route around the world ...