Acton is a district in 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 inhabitants.
Acton means 'oak farm' or ''farm by oak trees', and comes from old English. It was originally 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 inside the London Borough of Hounslow. Acton is one of the areas with the most stations bearing their name anywhere in the United kingdom, with seven stations including its name.
Central Acton is called the hub of commerce and retail on the former principal road between London and Oxford, generally known as the Uxbridge Road. The main road includes a great deal of inns, which date back to the late Tudor period as stopping places for travellers. Now, the A40 dual carriageway is the primary route from London to Oxford, and it bypasses central Acton. It still passes through East Acton and North Acton.
Acton contains the biggest housing estate in West London, named the South Acton estate, with around 2,000 homes and 5,800 residents. The region is at the moment in phase 2 of a major 15-year phased regeneration which involves nearly complete demolition of the current residential units plus the building of new and more residences. This is most likely to raise its population even further.