A compilation of distances to cataclysmic variable stars.

Published estimates of distances to cataclysmic variables (CVs) are reviewed, and the merits and drawbacks of the various measurement methods are compared. It is found that distances to CVs are not satisfactorily determined, and that elaborate evolutionary schemes such as that of Patterson (1984) may be premature. The most accurate distances have been obtained from observations of the absorption lines of the red stars, with uncertainties of 25-50 percent. It is noted that infrared light curves of systems that have occasional low states may be useful in finding additional red dwarfs.