What Time Does Santa Come?

Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24, 202651 days away

Santa usually arrives

9 PMto midnightyour local time, after the children are asleep

NORAD starts tracking Santa

Thu, Dec 24 · 4:00 AM ET

Starts inNORAD Santa tracking

Your time: 4:00 AM

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Christmas Day: Fri, Dec 25
Tracked worldwide by NORAD

Santa usually comes between 9:00 PM and midnight local time on Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24, 2026, once children are asleep. NORAD starts tracking Santa at about 4:00 AM ET that morning, when he leaves the North Pole, and follows him around the world for about 24 hours.

When Does Santa Come Around the World?

Santa travels with the night, so he reaches the islands of the South Pacific first, where Christmas Eve night starts earliest, then moves west through Asia, Europe and Africa, and finishes in the Americas and Hawaii.

Place	Santa usually arrives	Starting (ET)	In your time
Kiritimati, Kiribati	9 PM to midnight	Thu, 2:00 AM ET	Thu, 2:00 AM ET
Auckland	9 PM to midnight	Thu, 3:00 AM ET	Thu, 3:00 AM ET
Sydney	9 PM to midnight	Thu, 5:00 AM ET	Thu, 5:00 AM ET
Tokyo	9 PM to midnight	Thu, 7:00 AM ET	Thu, 7:00 AM ET
Manila	9 PM to midnight	Thu, 8:00 AM ET	Thu, 8:00 AM ET
Dhaka	9 PM to midnight	Thu, 10:00 AM ET	Thu, 10:00 AM ET
Dubai	9 PM to midnight	Thu, 12:00 PM ET	Thu, 12:00 PM ET
Paris and Berlin	9 PM to midnight	Thu, 3:00 PM ET	Thu, 3:00 PM ET
London	9 PM to midnight	Thu, 4:00 PM ET	Thu, 4:00 PM ET
São Paulo	9 PM to midnight	Thu, 7:00 PM ET	Thu, 7:00 PM ET
New York (ET)	9 PM to midnight	Thu, 9:00 PM ET	Thu, 9:00 PM ET
Chicago (CT)	9 PM to midnight	Thu, 10:00 PM ET	Thu, 10:00 PM ET
Denver (MT)	9 PM to midnight	Thu, 11:00 PM ET	Thu, 11:00 PM ET
Los Angeles (PT)	9 PM to midnight	Fri, 12:00 AM ET	Fri, 12:00 AM ET
Honolulu	9 PM to midnight	Fri, 2:00 AM ET	Fri, 2:00 AM ET

How to Track Santa on Christmas Eve

NORAD Tracks Santa: live map at noradsanta.org and in the NORAD Tracks Santa app, from about 4:00 AM ET on December 24
Call NORAD: 1-877-HI-NORAD (1-877-446-6723) on Christmas Eve to ask where Santa is
Google Santa Tracker: Santa's Village games through December, then live tracking on Christmas Eve
Smart speakers: ask Alexa or Google "Where is Santa?" on Christmas Eve

More Christmas Times

Santa FAQ

What time does Santa come on Christmas Eve?

Santa usually comes between 9:00 PM and midnight local time on Christmas Eve, after children are asleep.

What time does NORAD start tracking Santa?

NORAD starts tracking Santa at about 4:00 AM ET on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2026, when he leaves the North Pole.

Where does Santa go first?

Santa starts with the islands of the South Pacific near the International Date Line, where Christmas Eve night begins first, and works his way west around the world.

How can I call NORAD to find Santa?

Call 1-877-HI-NORAD (1-877-446-6723) on Christmas Eve. Volunteers answer and tell callers where Santa is.

Does Santa come if children are awake?

Tradition says Santa only stops at homes where the children are asleep, which is why bedtime on Christmas Eve matters.