Acton is a district within the London Borough of Ealing in west London. It's 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 sections of East Acton are inside the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and a small part of South Acton is in the London Borough of Hounslow. Acton is one of the areas with the most stations bearing their name anywhere within the UK, with seven stations including its name.
Central Acton is called the hub of commerce and retail on the former major road between London and Oxford, known as the Uxbridge Road. The main road contains a lot of inns, which go as far back to the late Tudor period as stopping places for travellers. Nowadays, the A40 dual carriageway is the main route from London to Oxford, and it bypasses central Acton. It still passes through East Acton and North Acton.
Acton is home to the biggest housing estate in West London, named the South Acton estate, with approximately 2,000 properties and 5,800 residents. The area is currently in phase 2 of a significant 15-year phased regeneration which consists of virtually total demolition of the current residential units and also the construction of new and more residences. This is likely to boost its population additionally.