A direct route (also called a connected route) is automatically created when an interface is assigned an IP address and is up.

Option A (Incorrect): The administrator does NOT need to manually configure a direct route. It is automatically added when an IP is assigned to an interface.

Option B (Incorrect): Direct routes have a higher priority than dynamic routes (e.g., OSPF, RIP, etc.).

Option C (Correct): Direct routes have the highest priority among all routing types (default priority = 0, which is the highest).

Option D (Incorrect): Static routes have a lower priority (default 60) than direct routes (0).

Thus, the correct answer is C (The direct route has the highest priority.)