Santa Claus is coming to town … and he’s getting closer by the minute.

But where in the world is he at any given time? When will he be here with his reindeer and sleigh filled with gifts?

Since 1955, Santa has been tracked by the United States government. First by the Continental Air Defense Command and then by the North American Aerospace Defense Command, also known as NORAD, from 1958 onward. 

NORAD tracks Santa, and other objects in North American airspace, using the “North Warning System,” a system of 47 radar installations in Canada and Alaska. 

“NORAD makes a point of checking the radar closely for indications of Santa Claus leaving the North Pole every holiday season,” wrote the organization on its website.

According to the NORAD website, only Santa knows his exact route but “we do, however, know from history that it appears he arrives only when children are asleep. In most countries, it seems Santa arrives between 9 p.m. and 12 a.m. on Dec. 24.”

In the 68 years NORAD has tracked Santa, the international organization obtained technical data about his sleigh.

According to NORAD, the sleigh weighs about “75,000 gumdrops” at takeoff and carries about 60,000 tons of gifts for every child who believes in Santa. The sleigh runs purely on “hay, oats and carrots,” travels “faster than starlight” and can climb to cruising altitude in “one twinkle of an eye.”

Keep tabs on Santa Claus this Christmas Eve at www.noradsanta.org/en/.