Acton is a district in the London Borough of Ealing in west London. It is 6.1 miles west of Charing Cross. At the 2011 census, Acton had a population of 62,480 - a ten year increase of 8,791 people.
Acton means 'oak farm' or ''farm by oak trees', and comes from old English. It was initially an ancient village, and as London expanded it was absorbed into the city. Since 1965, Acton has been part of the east of Ealing, but some areas of East Acton are within the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and a small section of South Acton is in the London Borough of Hounslow. Acton is one of the areas with the most stations bearing their name anywhere in the country, with seven stations including its name.
Central Acton is known as the hub of commerce and retail on the former major road between London and Oxford, generally known as the Uxbridge Road. The main road consists of lots of inns, which date back to the late Tudor period as stopping places for travellers. Currently, the A40 dual carriageway is the major route from London to Oxford, and it bypasses central Acton. It still passes by way of East Acton and North Acton.
Acton boasts the largest housing estate in West London, named the South Acton estate, with approximately 2,000 homes and 5,800 residents. The location is at the moment in phase 2 of a major 15-year phased regeneration which involves nearly full demolition of the current residential units plus the construction of new and more residences. This is likely to increase its population additionally.