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 people.
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 parts 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 within the UK, with seven stations including its name.
Central Acton is known as the hub of commerce and retail on the former main road between London and Oxford, called the Uxbridge Road. The main road includes a lot of inns, which go as far back to the late Tudor period as stopping places for travellers. Now, the A40 dual carriageway is the major route from London to Oxford, and it bypasses central Acton. It still passes via East Acton and North Acton.
Acton hosts the biggest housing estate in West London, named the South Acton estate, with about 2,000 properties and 5,800 residents. The location is at the moment in phase two of a major 15-year phased regeneration which includes virtually full demolition of the existing residential units and the construction of brand new and much more residences. This is most likely to enhance its population further.