Acton is a district within 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 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 areas of East Acton are in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and a small portion 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 known as the hub of commerce and retail on the former main road between London and Oxford, referred to as the Uxbridge Road. The main road contains a lot of inns, which date back to the late Tudor period as stopping places for travellers. Nowadays, 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 houses the largest housing estate in West London, named the South Acton estate, with about 2,000 homes and 5,800 residents. The region is at present in phase two of a significant 15-year phased regeneration which includes virtually complete demolition of the existing residential units and also the construction of new and more residences. This is most likely to boost its population further.