Santa's journey started in Russia. He left his residence on the North Pole at approximately 4:30 am (EST). As usual, Santa is traveling in his sleigh pulled by nine reindeer.
In the first two hours of his journey, Santa managed to deliver more than 70,000 presents.
Santa's first stop was the Russian town of Yelizovo in Kamchatka Krai.
For a more immersive experience, visit the official website of NORAD where you can find a 3D map tracking Santa's movements.
NORAD and its predecessor, the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) have been tracking Santa's journey for more than 50 years. Back in 1955 Sears Roebuck & Co department store placed an advertisement in the Colorado Springs newspaper saying that US children can call Santa Claus, but misprinted the telephone number. Instead, children who called the given number got through to the CONAD Commander-in-Chief.
