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 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 section of South Acton is within the London Borough of Hounslow. Acton is one of the places with the most stations bearing their name anywhere in the country, with seven stations including its name.
Central Acton is referred to as the hub of commerce and retail on the former principal road between London and Oxford, referred to as the Uxbridge Road. The main road consists of a lot of inns, which date back to the late Tudor period as stopping places for travellers. Today, the A40 dual carriageway is the major route from London to Oxford, and it bypasses central Acton. It still passes by means of East Acton and North Acton.
Acton boasts the biggest housing estate in West London, named the South Acton estate, with about 2,000 homes and 5,800 residents. The location is at the moment in phase 2 of a significant 15-year phased regeneration which consists of virtually total demolition of the existing residential units and the building of brand new and more residences. This is most likely to raise its population further.