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 10-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 into the city. Since 1965, Acton has been part of the east of Ealing, but some parts of East Acton are in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and a small section of South Acton is in 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 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 a great deal of inns, which date back to the late Tudor period as stopping places for travellers. Now, the A40 dual carriageway is the key route from London to Oxford, and it bypasses central Acton. It still passes by way of East Acton and North Acton.
Acton contains the largest housing estate in West London, named the South Acton estate, with around 2,000 houses and 5,800 residents. The location is currently in phase 2 of a significant 15-year phased regeneration which contains almost total demolition of the current residential units along with the building of new and much more residences. This is most likely to boost its population even more.