Where does Santa Claus live?
Every child asks it sooner or later — and the full answer is better than just “the North Pole”. Santa has a secret home, a public office, and a workshop that never sleeps. Here's the whole map.
The quick answer
Santa lives at the North Pole — that's where his house, the toy workshop and the reindeer stables are. In the old Nordic tradition his home stands on Korvatunturi, a remote fell in Finnish Lapland shaped like an ear, which is how he hears every child's wish. And because the North Pole is closed to visitors, Santa keeps an official office at Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, right on the Arctic Circle — that's the place you can actually travel to. In Britain he goes by Father Christmas, but the address is the same.
North Pole or Lapland — which is it?
Both, and there's no contradiction. Santa keeps two addresses, and each one has its own job:
Korvatunturi — the secret home
A lonely fell on the eastern edge of Finnish Lapland, far from any road. No visitors, no cameras — this is where Santa, Mrs. Claus and the oldest elves actually live. Its name means “Ear Fell”: the mountain is shaped like a giant ear, and legend says that's how Santa hears children's wishes from every corner of the world.
Rovaniemi — the public office
Santa Claus Village on the Arctic Circle, 8 km from Rovaniemi. This is Santa's “work address”: his office, the Main Post Office where half a million letters arrive every year, and the painted line of the Arctic Circle you can hop across. Open year round — Santa commutes from Korvatunturi by sleigh.
What Santa's home looks like inside
No photographer has ever been inside the Korvatunturi house — but the elves talk, and this much is known:
The toy workshop
The heart of the house. Elves build toys here from January to December — the busiest weeks start right after the wish letters begin to arrive.
The reindeer stables
Home of the nine famous reindeer, Rudolph's stall first by the door. Warm, full of hay, and the only stable in the world with a take-off runway.
The mail room
Every letter addressed to Santa ends up here, sorted by elves who read every language — including wish lists written in crayon and pure scribble.
Mrs. Claus's kitchen
Gingerbread headquarters. Mrs. Claus tests every cookie recipe children leave out on Christmas Eve — for quality control, she insists.
Visit him, write to him — or watch his village live
Knowing where Santa lives is step one. Here's what you can actually do with it:
Watch his village right now
A free live camera streams from Santa's village — elves sorting letters in the mail room, live.
Open the North Pole live cam →Write him a letter
Fill in a template, print it, and send it — his post offices really answer.
Write a letter to Santa →Get the postal address
The exact addresses that reply — Rovaniemi, Canada Post's H0H 0H0 and more.
Santa's address →Plan a real visit
Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi is open all year, and entry is free.
About Santa Claus Village →A hello straight from Santa's home
Santa can record a personalized video for your child right from the North Pole — with their name, their city and the one thing they did this year that made the Nice List.
Get a video from SantaExamples
Stories video (15–30 sec)
Full video (60–90 sec)
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does Santa Claus live?
At the North Pole — and in the Nordic tradition, on Korvatunturi, a remote ear-shaped fell in Finnish Lapland. His official public office is at Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, on the Arctic Circle.
Is Santa's home the North Pole or Lapland?
Both are true: the secret family home is on Korvatunturi in Lapland, and the “North Pole” is how the rest of the world names his snowy homeland. His visitable office sits in Rovaniemi, Lapland.
Can you visit where Santa lives?
The Korvatunturi home is secret and closed — but Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi is open every day of the year, entry is free, and Santa is there to meet visitors.
Where does Father Christmas live?
Father Christmas is the British name for the same Santa — so the answer doesn't change: the North Pole, with his Lapland office in Rovaniemi on the Arctic Circle.
Why is the mountain called “Ear Fell”?
Korvatunturi is shaped like a giant ear. The legend says that's no accident: it's how Santa hears the wishes of children all over the world — even the whispered ones.
Does Santa live there all year?
Yes. Christmas Eve is the only night he leaves home for long — the rest of the year he's making toys, reading letters and, once in a while, sending video messages to children who wrote to him.