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 individuals.
Acton means 'oak farm' or ''farm by oak trees', and comes from old English. It was initially an ancient village, and as London expanded it was absorbed in to 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 inside the London Borough of Hounslow. Acton is one of the areas with the most stations bearing their name anywhere within the UK, 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, called the Uxbridge Road. The main road contains lots of inns, which go as far back to the late Tudor period as stopping places for travellers. Today, the A40 dual carriageway is the primary route from London to Oxford, and it bypasses central Acton. It still passes by means of East Acton and North Acton.
Acton contains the biggest housing estate in West London, named the South Acton estate, with around 2,000 houses and 5,800 residents. The region is currently in phase 2 of a significant 15-year phased regeneration which includes nearly complete demolition of the current residential units and also the construction of brand new and more residences. This is most likely to increase its population even more.