Tracking Santa 2022: When will Saint Nick deliver Christmas presents in Charlotte?

Christmas is right around the corner which means Santa is at the North Pole preparing to deliver presents to children around the world and in Charlotte.

Santa historically has arrived in the Queen City between 9 p.m.-midnight on Christmas Eve into Christmas morning, but he’ll only show up if children are asleep, according to The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), an organization that protects the continent’s air space and keeps tabs on Saint Nick during the holidays.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and state emergency management officials are preparing for Santa’s arrival by stocking warehouses with reindeer food and hot cocoa, according to a news release from the N.C. Department of Public Safety.

“Our Division of Emergency Management is closely monitoring weather conditions, tracking Santa, and stands ready to help him reach children across North Carolina,” Cooper said.

While the exact location of Santa’s sleigh isn’t known, there are a few places you can track his whereabouts.

Here are a few tools you can use to track Santa’s location in real time on Christmas Eve.

Google Santa Tracker

On Christmas Eve, Google’s Santa Tracker will begin following Santa and show how far away he is from Charlotte.

In the meantime, you can play online games and explore lesson plans with Santa’s elves in his village.

NORAD Tracks Santa

NORAD uses a radar system and satellites to track Santa on Christmas Eve. Jet fighters are deployed to escort his sleigh as he flies over North America.

While you’re waiting for Santa, you can listen to his favorite holiday songs and play games on the NORAD website.

You can also download the NORAD Tracks Santa app on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store to keep up with Santa on your smartphone or tablet.

Email Santa

EmailSanta provides live video from Santa’s big flight from the North Pole, live updates on where he is and a countdown to when he’ll arrive in Charlotte.

If you forgot to write your letter to Santa, you can send him an email so he knows what to leave under the tree.

This story was originally published December 24, 2022 at 7:00 AM.

Evan Moore

The Charlotte Observer

Evan Moore is a service journalism reporter for the Charlotte Observer. He grew up in Denver, North Carolina, where he previously worked as a reporter for the Denver Citizen, and is a UNC Charlotte graduate.