What happens to a static route if its next-hop IP address is not on a connected route?

When a static route is configured with a next-hop IP address that is not reachable through any of the connected routes on a device, that static route will not be placed in the routing table at all. Routing protocols and static routes require that the next-hop address must be reachable; otherwise, the route is deemed invalid. The device will not have the necessary information to send packets to that next-hop IP, and thus, the static route simply does not get listed or considered for routing traffic.

This behavior emphasizes the importance of having valid next-hop addresses that are consistent with the device's actual network topology. If the next-hop address does not belong to a subnet that is directly connected to the router, the static route can't function, as the router cannot reach the destination address through any of its interfaces. Consequently, the condition of the next-hop address being unreachable renders the static route unusable, preventing it from appearing in the routing table.