What is the official address for Santa?

In the United States: Santa, 123 Elf Road, North Pole, 88888. The Postal Service routes letters with that address into USPS Operation Santa.

Is 123 Elf Road, North Pole 88888 real?

Yes. It's the address USPS publishes for letters to Santa. It isn't a physical street — the 88888 ZIP code tells postal sorting to send the letter to Operation Santa.

How can I get a reply from Santa?

Three ways: send the letter to Canada Post's Santa (North Pole H0H 0H0, Canada) with a return address; write the reply yourself and have USPS postmark it in North Pole, Alaska; or print a personalised letter from Santa at home.

Can I send a free letter to Santa?

Within Canada, letters to Santa at H0H 0H0 need no stamp. In the US, a letter to 123 Elf Road needs a First-Class stamp — or skip the post and use a home or town Santa mailbox.

Where is Santa's mailbox?

Many towns, malls and libraries set up a red "Letters to Santa" mailbox in December. Check your town's website or library events calendar in late November.

Where to mail a letter to Santa

Santa's address

Santa

123 Elf Road

North Pole, 88888

That's the official US Postal Service address — it goes to USPS Operation Santa. Want a written reply, or to keep the letter private? There are three other routes below.

Four ways to send a letter to Santa

USPS Operation Santa

Santa

123 Elf Road

North Pole, 88888

The letter goes into Operation Santa: it may be published online (without personal details) for volunteers to adopt and send gifts. There's no guaranteed reply.

When: Mail by December 5, 2026
Cost: One First-Class stamp

Best for: Families who would welcome a gift from a stranger, and kids who just want to mail their letter "to the North Pole".

A reply with a real North Pole postmark

NORTH POLE POSTMARK

POSTMASTER

4141 POSTMARK DR

ANCHORAGE AK 99530-9998

You write Santa's reply yourself, put it in a stamped envelope addressed to your child with SANTA / NORTH POLE as the return address, and mail it inside a bigger envelope to this address. USPS sends it back to your child with a North Pole, Alaska postmark.

When: USPS recommends mailing between November 23 and December 1
Cost: Two stamps: one on the inner envelope, postage on the outer one

Best for: A reply the child can hold, with a postmark that looks the part — and the letter stays private.

Canada Post's Santa

Santa Claus

North Pole H0H 0H0

Canada

Canada Post's volunteer elves answer letters from children with a reply from Santa, in many languages. Include a return address.

When: In 2025 letters had to be mailed by December 8 for a reply before Christmas
Cost: Free inside Canada; from the US, use an international stamp

Best for: A real written reply you don't write yourself.

Santa's mailbox at home or in town

Up the chimney, into the family mailbox,

or a local "Letters to Santa" mailbox

Many towns, malls and libraries put out a red Santa mailbox in December, and some answer every letter. At home, the letter can "disappear" overnight and a reply arrive by the tree.

When: Any time in December
Cost: Free

Best for: Little ones, and parents who want to keep the letter.

Why letters to Santa come back

What postal workers say goes wrong most often.

Writing just "Santa, North Pole" — without the full 123 Elf Road, 88888 address, sorting machines can send it back as undeliverable.
No stamp. Many carriers quietly add one, but not every office does.
No return address — Operation Santa can't send anything, and Canada Post can't reply.
Mailing too late: December 5, 2026 for Operation Santa; about December 1 for the North Pole postmark.

Before you write

Print a blank letter to Santa for your child to fill in — and if you'd rather Santa's reply arrived tomorrow, make a personalised letter from Santa in his own handwriting on the same page.

Letter templates →Who actually writes back →

Questions

What is the official address for Santa?: In the United States: Santa, 123 Elf Road, North Pole, 88888. The Postal Service routes letters with that address into USPS Operation Santa.
Is 123 Elf Road, North Pole 88888 real?: Yes. It's the address USPS publishes for letters to Santa. It isn't a physical street — the 88888 ZIP code tells postal sorting to send the letter to Operation Santa.
How can I get a reply from Santa?: Three ways: send the letter to Canada Post's Santa (North Pole H0H 0H0, Canada) with a return address; write the reply yourself and have USPS postmark it in North Pole, Alaska; or print a personalised letter from Santa at home.
Can I send a free letter to Santa?: Within Canada, letters to Santa at H0H 0H0 need no stamp. In the US, a letter to 123 Elf Road needs a First-Class stamp — or skip the post and use a home or town Santa mailbox.
Where is Santa's mailbox?: Many towns, malls and libraries set up a red "Letters to Santa" mailbox in December. Check your town's website or library events calendar in late November.

Sources: USPS Operation Santa — how to write a letter · USPS — North Pole postmark · Canadian Stamp News — Canada Post Santa letters. Checked 2026-09-30.

USPS Operation Santa 2026: dates & how to adopt →