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When does Santa come to the United States?
Santa reaches the United States at midnight in each time zone on Christmas Eve: first New York, Detroit, Indianapolis at 05:00 UTC on 25 December, and last Honolulu, Adak at 10:00 UTC on 25 December.
Santa's diary:
Toys made so far:
Santa's arrival times in the United States
| Clock time | Places | Santa arrives |
|---|---|---|
| UTC−5 | New York, Detroit, Indianapolis, Marengo, Petersburg, Vevay and more | Midnight local time 05:00 UTC on 25 December |
| UTC−6 | Chicago, Knox, Tell City, Menominee, Beulah, Center and more | Midnight local time 06:00 UTC on 25 December |
| UTC−7 | Denver, Phoenix, Boise | Midnight local time 07:00 UTC on 25 December |
| UTC−8 | Los Angeles | Midnight local time 08:00 UTC on 25 December |
| UTC−9 | Anchorage, Juneau, Metlakatla, Nome, Sitka, Yakutat | Midnight local time 09:00 UTC on 25 December |
| UTC−10 | Honolulu, Adak | Midnight local time 10:00 UTC on 25 December |
Santa always arrives at the same moment: midnight, when Christmas Eve turns into Christmas Day. He keeps to the night side of the Earth, flying from east to west as each country's clocks reach twelve, so every child is asleep when he lands. When midnight strikes in most of the United States, he also visits Canada, Colombia, Peru, Cuba, Jamaica and the Bahamas.
The United States is about 19 hours into his journey. By then the reindeer have already pulled the sleigh past thousands of towns, and Rudolph's nose is glowing at full brightness to light the way through the clouds.
Before Christmas Eve you can visit Santa's village any day of the year. See what he is doing right now, count down the sleeps, write him a letter, and on Christmas Eve watch his sleigh fly over your own town.
Questions
What time does Santa come to the United States?
At midnight local time on Christmas Eve, in every part of the United States. Because the United States has 6 different clock times, he reaches the east first and the west last.
Is Santa early or late in the United States?
Santa starts his journey in Kiribati, the first place to reach midnight. He reaches the United States about 19 hours later.
Can I watch Santa fly over the United States?
Yes. Open the live map on Christmas Eve: when it turns midnight where you are, his sleigh flies over your town for about 20 minutes, with a glowing trail from the North Pole.
What should we leave out for Santa?
Many families leave a mince pie or cookies and a glass of milk for Santa, and a carrot for the reindeer. Rudolph likes the crunchy ones.