Systems and methods for providing Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) layer 3 highly-available routers. An example method comprises: receiving a request to create a highly-available (HA) virtual router; configuring a HA virtual router to run on a plurality of network nodes, the HA virtual router comprising a master instance and a plurality of standby instances; assigning a floating Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with the virtual router to an internal network interface of the master instance; responsive to detecting a failure of the master instance of the HA virtual router, identifying a standby instance to act as a new master instance; and assigning the floating IP address to an internal network interface of the new master instance.