The Indiana town now called Santa Claus was originally named Santa Fe.
The community was founded in Spencer County in the mid-19th century and first used the name Santa Fe. When residents sought a post office, they learned that another Indiana settlement already had that name. During a town meeting in 1856, they chose the new name Santa Claus, helping create one of the United States’ most distinctive place names.
The name later attracted Christmas-related attention, especially from children who mailed letters to Santa Claus. The town’s post office became known for answering those letters, and volunteers known as Santa’s Elves continue the tradition. This postal custom is separate from the United States Postal Service’s nationwide Operation Santa program.
Santa Claus, Indiana, is in Spencer County, not Alaska or the North Pole. It is also distinct from the Santa Claus House in North Pole, Alaska, another well-known Santa-themed attraction.