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 inhabitants.
Acton means 'oak farm' or ''farm by oak trees', and originates 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 inside the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and a small portion of South Acton is within the London Borough of Hounslow. Acton is one of the places with the most stations bearing their name anywhere within the country, with seven stations including its name.
Central Acton is known as the hub of commerce and retail on the former primary road between London and Oxford, called the Uxbridge Road. The main road consists of a lot of inns, which go as far back to the late Tudor period as stopping places for travellers. These days, the A40 dual carriageway is the principal route from London to Oxford, and it bypasses central Acton. It still passes via East Acton and North Acton.
Acton contains the largest housing estate in West London, named the South Acton estate, with roughly 2,000 properties and 5,800 residents. The area is presently in phase two of a major 15-year phased regeneration which contains virtually total demolition of the existing residential units and the building of new and more residences. This is most likely to raise its population even further.