$$\varvec{U\!BV\!I}$$ U B V I CCD photometry of Berkeley 55 open cluster

Fundamental astrophysical parameters have been derived for Berkeley 55 (Be 55) open cluster based on the UBVI charge-coupled device (CCD) photometric data observed using a AZT-22 1.5 m telescope at Maidanak Astronomical Observatory (MAO) in Uzbekistan. The mean reddening is obtained as $$E(B-V)=1.77\pm 0.10\,\mathrm {mag}$$ from early-type members. The zero-age main sequence fitting in the $$Q_{V\lambda }$$ – $$Q'$$ diagrams indicates the distance modulus, $$(V_{0}-M_{V})=12.4\pm 0.20\,\mathrm {mag}\,(d=3.02\pm 0.28\,\mathrm {kpc}$$ ). This photometric distance is consistent with the distances of Gaia EDR3 ( $$d = 3.09 \pm 0.16\,\mathrm {kpc}$$ ) and period–luminosity relation ( $$d =$$ 2.78 ± 0.32 kpc) of its Cepheid S5 within the uncertainties. This distance also locates the cluster near the Perseus spiral arm. The Geneva isochrone fittings to the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram and observational colour–magnitude diagrams derive turn-off age, 85 ± 13 Myr, by taking care of five red supergiants/bright giants. The possible inconsistencies in the locations of the bright giants with the rotating/non-rotating isochrones may be due to both the age spread of stars in young open clusters and the diversity in rotational velocities.