New Cepheid Distances to Nearby Galaxies Based on BVRI CCD Photometry. I. IC 1613

BVRI CCD photometric observations of 11 previously known Cepheids in IC 1613 have been obtained at the Canada-France-Hawaii telescope. These new Cepheid data, in conjunction with recent near-infrared photometry, are used to estimate the mean total extinction for the Cepheids and to provide a distance to the galaxy. A true distance modulus to IC 1613 of 24.3 +/- 0.1 mag is obtained [after adopting a reddening of E(B-V) = 0.07 mag and a true distance modulus of 18.5 mag for the Large Magellanic Cloud]; this corresponds to a distance of 725 kpc for IC 1613. In agreement with previous studies, a low reddening value of E(B-V) ~ 0.04 mag is found. No significant difference is found in the slope of the period-luminosity relation or the colors of the Cepheids in IC 1613 when compared with other Local Group galaxies.