Acton is a district inside the London Borough of Ealing in west London. It is 6.1 miles west of Charing Cross. In the 2011 census, Acton had a population of 62,480 - a ten year increase of 8,791 individuals.
Acton means 'oak farm' or ''farm by oak trees', and derives 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 areas of East Acton are within the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and a small part of South Acton is within the London Borough of Hounslow. Acton is one of the areas with the most stations bearing their name anywhere in the UK, with seven stations including its name.
Central Acton is referred to as the hub of commerce and retail on the former major road between London and Oxford, referred to as the Uxbridge Road. The main road consists of a lot of inns, which go back to the late Tudor period as stopping places for travellers. Right now, the A40 dual carriageway is the key route from London to Oxford, and it bypasses central Acton. It still passes via East Acton and North Acton.
Acton houses the biggest housing estate in West London, named the South Acton estate, with roughly 2,000 homes and 5,800 residents. The area is currently in phase 2 of a major 15-year phased regeneration which includes nearly total demolition of the existing residential units and also the construction of brand new and much more residences. This is most likely to raise its population even more.