Just when will Santa arrive in Brookhaven and Lincoln County?

Thanks to the intrepid folks at NORAD and Google, we can find out.

Both the NORAD Santa Tracker website and Google’s Santa Tracker will let youngsters of all ages track Santa Claus as he makes his annual trip from the North Pole to deliver presents around the world.

The NORAD Santa Tracker has long been the gold standard in tracking the Jolly Ol’ Elf. NORAD is a joint U.S.-Canada command responsible for protecting the skies over both nations. The tracker began in 1955 when an ad in a Colorado Springs newspaper invited children to call Santa but inadvertently listed the phone number NORAD’s predecessor, the Continental Air Defense Command in Colorado Springs.

The quick-witted air controllers at NORAD soon realized they could help children and provide a much-needed service of tracking Santa, and the NORAD Santa Tracker began. Today, the tracker is available via www.noradsanta.org, the website which goes live on Dec. 24. The site includes games, tips for family fun and history about Santa’s flights.

Children can still call 1-877-NORAD or chat with radar trackers via the website.

In addition, the tracker can be downloaded through the Google Play and Apple app stores for mobile use.

Also this year, Google is also offering its own Santa tracker on its website and corresponding Santa Tracker 2023 app. The Google site also includes Christmas-themed games, quizzes and a family guide.